Last tuesday, I had the fortuitous opportunity to hear Toots near my home in Miami Beach. He performed at the Van Dyke Cafe for two SRO shows. Mind you, the cafe only holds 75 people, but what was mindblowing about it was the fact that the level of intimacy was so great you could read his coverplates from the last few rows!!. Now in his 80's and having seen him perform several times in the last few years, his playing was some of the best you can imagine. He was bending notes until they were at the breaking point and quoting familiar phrases all night, playing as if his very life were hanging on every note.
His last song was, of course, Bluesette, the only song he played on guitar. I could never understand why toots usually plays this signature song on guitar instead of harmonica...............................anyone know why?
Between sets, I asked if I could examine his harmonicas. I made it a point to feel the slide action on all his chromatics (3 of them) and I could not help to discover the slide action was less then perfect. All three harps had some type of gunk which made for an uneven slide action. His manager said toots does not care about this, he simply "transcends the instrument".
I also had a chance to talk with toots at length. For kicks, I asked him who his favorite harmonica player was. He said he wasn't sure of his name but he was from France and his name was something like pierre olivier. Does anyone know this fellow?
harmonicas and peace,
randy
- --He says, "Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words Keep your words positive because you words become your behavior Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny."
