Date: Fri, 04 May 2001 14:07:19 -0700 From: Rob Paparozzi Subject: BHF 2001-looooooong!
Well now that the smoke cleared....I just wanted to take a minute to thank Jack Ely for a Superb Job. This was THE best festival for me so far, great music, interaction in a relaxing setting with a wealth of Harmonica info available to ALL! Also, Jack, thanx for having me as a performer this year I was quite honored and humbled to be in such talented company.
Thanx to all my Garden State Harmonica Club friends: Laddie, Dottie, Barb & Hal, Phil,Tom, Val Shelly, Bob Meehan, Bob and Gloria Beck.....and the other GSHC'rs for their support and friendship.
Thanx to Buzz, Bobbie, Doug and Joe F. and all the staffers at Buckeye as well.....even the sound guys! and ofcourse Madcat! for showin' up.-)
I really dug listening to all the Harmonicats in the Halls, Corners and stages too as well as the Filisko extravaganza contributors: Roscoe, Gordon, Sleigh, Michalek, Brooks, Holmes.....great hangin' with Tom, Alec, Beth, Jonathan, Rick, Johnny B, Steve, fjm, and especially to my friend Mike Easton &
all the great cats from the late night jams whose names are slippin' me right now-sorry to all i forgot!
Thanx to all that attended my seminar....just wish we had a few more hours!
Thanx to the performers that inspired me and gave me "licks" to steal that will last a lifetime.-0!!!:
Doug Tate - Excellent set of beautiful and dynamically executed pieces for Chromatic...BTW The Renny sounded Warm and Huge! Doug made all this look quite EZ but as we know it t'aint!!
Yellow Pine- a totally fun set of Good Time Americana with a few Jewish tunes thrown in.-)! Don, Danny and Bud cooked!!!! One of the high points for me was gettin' the lyrics of the opening verse to "Miss Orleans"...i'd never heard them...they're already in my act! thanx Don Allen!
Thanx to Kathi Norton for a nice interview, good Vocals/gtr....her CD's and putting up w/ so much harp music!
Richard Sleigh:
What a talented cat....guitar...vocal and harp playing and repair chops for DAYS!!!!!....Richard played a solo set with a Rack, best rack player I've ever heard! Nice hangin and playin' with him.
I didn't get to hear Harmonica Junction as I had to work on rehearin my set, but I saw them a few times and they always have a tight and entertaining show! I'll catch you guys at the next one!
Biersdorf & Kolbe- a cool duo (Harp-Gtr) from the Columbus area, two good players that really complimented each other. Nice Diatonic work by Biersdorf!
Sandy German as usual....always UP always smlin' and always sounding terrific, it was fun jammin' with Sandy at the after hours jazz club! a Big Thanx to my Maestro Carolbeth True!!......she really held it together, we only had a talk thru rehearsal a few hrs beforehand and she nailed it!
Frederic Yonnet is a name we'll be hearin' I'm sure.....Funky, Skillfull, Gentleman, Original are just a few words that come to mind! Frederic, thanx for havin' "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" on this old man!.-))) I had a blast!
Electra- Phil, Ric and Tom my brothers from Soprano-land are the bomb.....!Nice arrangements and Phil is a Lead-man with a passion!
Alan Blackie Schackner- never ceases to amaze, he used to be the top call session cat in NYC and I can see why. I really got to know Blackie a little better, thanx to the relaxed atmosphere at Buckeye! His set had A-1 arrangements, playing and entertainment for all. Blackie you still got it man!!! God Bless You and your wife....The most important lesson I always learn when watching him is ..."Entertain...and Enjoy your audience" the rest will follow!!! Thank You Blackie!!!
The Dave McKelvy Trio (Dave , Danny , Michael ) are truly a unique Harmonica trio, I saw them briefly in the movie 'Magnolia' last year w/ Tom Cruise, but I really got to sit back and enjoy them at the saturday show.....I'm still out of breathe thinkin' about Mckelvy playin' 'Fantasy Impromptu'(I'm always chasing oxygen)....yikes! It was really fun trading studio war stories with Dave. Kudos to Danny Wilson and Michael who just keep gettin' better on Bass and Chord.
Steve Guyger......is a total package: Singer-Harpman-Bluesman and Character extrodinaire! His set, just Him and a Guitar Player was outstanding and totally inspiring. Steve and the Harp and the Blues become ONE and the listener is NEVER let down!
Carla, thank you so much for the wonderful house musicians they really came thru!!! (for all the acts)
Pete Pedersen we missed you!
Don Brooks never made a harp convention, but I bet he woulds loved this one! Peace Donny!
"I never Met a Harp Player I didn't Like" even Gus! (Will Rogers)
Hope see some of ya' at SPAH 2001 and in Denver!!!!!!
- -- All the Best, Rob Paparozzi Email: Chromb~arthlink.net My Web page: http://go.to/Hudsonriverrats
