As a Blues player it's a great honor to have Rod Piazza ask you to sit in. Last nite Rod asked me to sit in, at Harvell's in Santa Monica, C.A He calls me up on a slow Blues and passes me his Hering 64, normally I Never share a harmonica, but this is PIAZZA!! So I grabbed it and did my thing. At the end of the tune Rod says, "I want you to have this man." I'm as honored as a Bluesman can be.
I had to post to share with anybody that could appreciate this... and now I much prefer Hering's 64 to the Hohner 64. It has an incredible timbre.
Last Edited by on Apr 24, 2011 4:56 PM
thats way to cool,I had a forum member give me 2 1923's Herings and they are by far the best harps I have ever used. but Rod Piazza man thats cool ---------- Hobostubs
Great story brother!! Rod is one of the few players I get up for anymore. Great player,and such a nice guy too-tresure it brother-stuff like that don't happen everday! Tom Fiacco. P.S.-I moving to new location-when I get settled in,I'll send you the MP3's from Mannys and C.H.I.C.A.G.O BLUES.
I lived in LA 98-2000 and used to sit in with Rod pretty often. One night on the break I asked Rod to do "Telephone Blues/Tribute to George Smith" Rod did the whole rap about George saying "Rod, do your thing." and says something to the effect that he wanted that he was going to get me up to do my thing. Rod does "Telephone Blues" in Bb, 3rd position on a Ab harp. I NEVER brought an Ab harp out with me. So I got up and started doing my best in 1st. Rod hands me his Ab Marine Band and I didn't think twice about using it. I did my thing and walked off stage and I forgot that I had the harp in my hand.
During one of Holmstrom's or Honey's tunes Rod comes off stage and walks toward me with his hand outstretched. I go to shake it and he says, "Uh uh. I want that harp back."
From that point on I always brought my Ab harp with me when I went to see Rod.
Sitting in was always a thrill. I never went expecting it to happen and there seemed to be no rhyme or reason as to when it would happen. But the biggest thrill was the few times Rod just walked off stage and I fronted the Mighty Flyers.
I'm up to 7 times sitting in with Rod and the Mighty Flyers. One of those times Ryan and I both sat in the same night.
I made a personal no-harmonica sharing rule after getting mono from a harp in college. The last time I got called up with Rod, I had NO intention of sitting in. It was last spring at the Orange County Fair Grounds. I'm standing in the crowd, just enjoying one more show before moving out of SoCal, and Rod points to me, gesturing for me to come up. I have no harmonicas with me, but I had to break the rule. Rod gave me the harp.
The best part of the story is that some guy got it on his iPhone and the video is on youtube. It's one of my "favorites" if you go to my page and want to watch it.
As shy as Rod can be, I get the feeling that he's determined to pass the torch the way the torch was passed to him. That's the way it should be.
Here's one of the last shows I attended before I left NY for Florida-from the State Theater in NJ-rod invites Dennis Gruenling,Kent Miller and Brian Potenziano to the stage-Dennis and Rod share a harp-
Last Edited by on Apr 25, 2011 4:29 PM
yeah....now! I'm reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally jealous! Dig that style so much. Rod is amazing..his technique appears effortless. What a pro. Honey hot hot, too. What a treat. Dennis is pretty impressive, man. All the stuff I like, and need to see more of. Thanks for posting Rod with Dennis.
---------- Why is it that we all just can't get along?<
