[Harp-L] Harp Solo on ZZ Top's ''Waiting For The Bus''

[Gregory Smith]

Greetings! I've been following Harp L since well before Mr. Al Eichler passed away and my (pre Internet) ''blues harp post doc'' study of American Harmonica Newsmagazine ended. Mr. Winslow Yerxa's 5 issues of HIP showed me a vision of undreamed of accomplishment (which, by the way, I certainly never accomplished!)  Well, anyway, even in this day of KJ's and DJ's and a bad economy, I'm on the edge of landing the harp chair in the hottest band around my town. And it all comes down to replicating the 12 bar solo on ZZ Top's ''Waiting For The Bus''. Now, sirs, I had wanted my first ''coming out'' on harp-l to be a contribution, namely, my ''dissertation'' on the harp solo on Gimme Shelter (why I DON'T think Jagger is using an F# harp and tangentially, why the Stones never replicated the harp part in any of their live shows). But I guess that will have to wait while I throw myself on the mercy of the scholars here assembled and ask if anyone has any observations about that ''Waiting For The Bus'' solo. I have a Lonesome Wolf Boogieman and one of Mr. Heumann's Bulletini mics (which I like better than my vintage Astatic Model 30 ''Half Biscuit, in fact!). My point being that I have what I need to dial this solo in. But as this is the most important 12 bars of my 20 year career, I'd be a fool (or ''Still a Fool'' as Muddy puts it), not to (however gracelessly) request ANY observations by the contributors to this fantastic resource. Let me add that I am rereading the entire archives (like back to '92!), but the search engines leave something to be desired (especially combined with my computer ineptitude) and it is going to take awhile (just in case Gimme Shelter and/or Waiting for the Bus has already been discussed). I thank you all for the great info over the decades and for any help you might tender now. Sincerely, Westside Smitty