From: Doug Steding Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 13:10:05 -0800 Subject: Blues Blowoff
It's alive!!!! And just in time, happy New Years to all and I hope everyone had a good holiday.
The list came back just in time to share my experience of last night. Went and saw a blues blowoff at Moe's Alley here in Santa Cruz last night, featured an awesome line-up: Kim Wilson, Rick Estrin, Billy Branch, James Harmon, Mark Hummel, Gary Smith and R.J. Mischo. Everyone put on a great show, but the highlights were Billy Branch's solo, along with Kim Wilson and Rick Estrin's work. It was cool to see differing styles and approaches to the blues.
Everyone played a jam at the end of the show, imagine three mics and 7 harp players on stage at once. Totally nuts. After Mark Hummel's set (which was really cool) I was standing by the stage and, check this out, he let me play one of his Filiskos (O.K I agree about playing someone elses harps being a little gross, but hey, it was a Filisko, chance of a lifetime for me). Now, I just wanted to take a look at it, they were pre-WWII Marine Bands, but he was totally cool and he said "Go ahead and play it-just play softly." THE SWEETEST INSTRUMENT I'VE EVER COME ACROSS. I understand now the magic that Maestro Filisko performs.
Anyways, enough ranting, but I thought it was really cool of Mark Hummel to let some total stranger check his harps out, and play one. A highlight of my harp-playing days for sure, and a sign that Mark is truely one of the good guys in this world.
