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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Dave on the Street
Dave on the Street
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The7thDave
256 posts
Nov 27, 2011
1:22 PM
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Hey guys--I know I haven't been posting a lot here lately (my apologies), but I think a report is required for this: I just had my first experience playing harp on the street.
The wife and I were strolling around the Gaslamp District in San Diego on Friday night, and happened across a guy singing and playing slide blues on a guitar made out of an old suitcase, with a built-in amp and speaker (a Vox mini 3, as I found out later). We listened to him do a couple of songs. He was worth listening to. I dropped 5 bucks in his jar and we stuck around.
After a little while, he called out to me (noting my unusual interest, I suppose) and asked if I played blues. I told him I played harmonica. He asked if I played with a band, or if it was just a hobby. "Hobby," I said. He asked if I had my G harp with me. I said no, and he waggled his finger and said I should always carry my harp with me, that's how he learned to play. We listened to a couple more songs, then I confessed that I had an A harp with me. He made a face and tried to play something in E for me to play along with, but he wasn't set up for it (DAD tuning, I think--and no capo), and it didn't work out very well. We seemed to be on different counts, and I just couldn't connect. It was disappointing. I thanked him, asked how long he'd be playing that night, and said I might come back later with my G harp.
We moved on--but I couldn't think about anything other than getting my G harp and going back to try to play again with that guy. So we headed back to our room. The wife was very understanding.
I grabbed a G harp and a D harp and went back down there. I found him, and stood there listening to him and screwing up my courage. After a few songs, he took a break and I struck up a conversation. We introduced ourselves. He goes by "Blues Wizard," and he makes the suitcase guitars for sale. I mentioned that I had brought my G harp and asked if it would be OK if played a few fills along with him. He said sure, and I thanked him. I ended up comping maybe 5 of the songs he played the rest of the evening--about 2 hours, before he packed up for the night. Nothing fancy, but it worked. We also had a couple of interesting encounters with drunks, had a sing-along with an Indian family, and chatted about his suitcase guitars, harmonica (his first instrument, he said), and his plans to make a "harmonica horn" out of a harmonica and an old saxophone.
It was awesome.
I learned something about how difficult it can be to play at adequate volume without an amp, too. I'm used to practicing at low volume, and I really had to shift gears in order to be heard at all over his amplified sound and the street noise.
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--Dave
* BTMFH *
Last Edited by on Nov 27, 2011 1:40 PM
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Steamrollin Stan
193 posts
Nov 28, 2011
2:11 AM
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This is a feelgood story, i'll do something like that one day. Sounds like you connected with him.
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toddlgreene
3464 posts
Nov 28, 2011
8:03 AM
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Great story, Dave! And on the topic of adequate unamplified volume-remember what Johnny Sansone told you...BLOW THAT MOTHER@#$&IN' HARMONICA!
;-)
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Todd L. Greene
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The7thDave
257 posts
Nov 28, 2011
10:08 AM
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Stan--Be prepared! I used to think it was sufficient to have one harp in my pocket at all times. Now I understand that one must always carry around three or four harps, and a mic and an amp!
Todd--as if I could ever forget advice delivered with such grandmotherly kindness.
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--Dave
* BTMFH *
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