Posted by Bluzharper on April 12, 2001 at 15:25:12:
In Reply to: Use the whole harp! Don't fear venturing into the high notes! posted by Jimmy on April 12, 2001 at 10:07:38:
Jimmy,
A Blues jam is a learning venue in most cases, or it should be. The boring crap you refer to are the foundation for Blues playing. You raise some very good points in your post, the problem is a lot of people expect to hear Hoochie Coochie Man, Mojo Working ect, especially club owners when they book a band. I cant think of a better way for an unknown Blues Band to not get booked then to tell a club owner we do all originals. I was amazed at how fast I tired of the play list in the first band I was in. It got to the point of really being work to show up for gigs and the pay usually sucked. Add to that all the politics of being in a Band and dealing with all the crap. I reached a point were I only play for myself and sit in with the people I enjoy being around. This includes sitting in with country bands and Rock and R&B bands. I love to go to Blues Jams and miss very few in my area. Its always a learning experience. Ive seen some players that really know how to work the high end, and then theres a point where it starts to sound like a prolonged dog whistle. Good post Jimmy, Keep The Blues Alive...