Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Monday After St. Patricks Day

Let me save myself 1,000 words...
  • Busking Cut Short Due To Cold
  • New Harmonica Today
  • Recording CD at Shermans?
Saint Patricks Day was pretty cold.
It was only forecast to go down into the low 50's, but my stinging fingers told me, by about 8 p.m. that it was in the low 40's.
I headed for Harrahs Casino, it being too early to try to crawl under the dock, what with the Natchez still being abuzz as a floating party, and the heightened security being present accordingly.
I went to the roulette tables, of which I only saw 3 (which seems strange in a casino the size of 2 football fields) and was actually approaching to lay my 5 dollar chip on "black," before I noticed the "15 dollar min." on a red LED display on the table.
It came up black. 13 black.
I asked around and was informed that at the roulette tables, one CAN bet as little as 5 dollars, but it didn't become clear to me when this is possible. They might have groups of people commandeer the table and up the bet to keep riff raff away, I don't know...
So, I almost bet the 5 dollar chip, and just may tonight...

Sherman

I woke up with about 73 bucks yesterday morning; I woke up with about 63 this morning.
I had played the Lilly spot continuing putting the various harmonicas through their paces, discarding most of them; and resolving to get a new harp, first thing (this) morning.
I have gotten a brand new Hohner "Ol' Standby," in the key of F.
This is the same "one" which Dorise gave me, almost a year ago now. I guess I am going back to review what I have learned and might just try to replace harps in the order in which I acquired them.
CD
I have half a mind to call Sherman in Baton Rouge to see if I could lay down some tracks on his .WAV audio recorder and at least get started on the project of having a CD of my own stuff...


5 comments:

  1. If you can get someone, maybe some Tulane student who needs an interesting project, to record you semi-decently, you ought to have a CD no problem. As you mentioned, a lot of the tourists collect the musicians' CD's like baseball cards, and just having one out there will sell some.

    Frankly, I've listened to your recordings and almost all are poo. In my opinion. Amazingly, your "Dancing Days Are Here Again" I find quite good. And I'm sure many of your others are good too, it just seems I don't "get" the Grateful Dead. I went and listened to China Cat Sunflower and I'm like ... "huh?"

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  2. The China Cat might have been the late 60's Yellow Submarine era video which probably is interesting on acid; you just need to hear the live version from The Greek Theater in Berkeley from September 12th, 1981 which goes into "I Know You Rider," the first song that I tried to record (with the laptop literally in my lap while I played)
    I know I'm a better harp player now; people are mixed on the harp; last night some musicians were down the street, ((a girl with a harp (a real harp) and a guy with a cello)) and the girl said "we could hear you playing the harp and it sounded good," after I walked past them..."I'm sorry if I set up too close to you.."
    "No, not at all"
    Then, on the other hand was the guy who walked past on Bourbon and said "You need to kill that thing.." pretty much referring to the harp...
    On a recording, I would probably play a dozen solos; take the best one; and then learn the notes of it on the guitar and then add a second rhythm track where "the guy" uncannily knows what the harp is going to play and complements it....Berkeley 9-12-81!!!!!!!!

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  3. Yeah the video for china cat sunflower is weird too. Frankly, to me, just dumb-sounding hippie music by slackers who should have stayed awake in Band class.

    "You need to kill that thing" to me sounds like, he was saying to play with a bit more feeling. Or, maybe he just doesn't like the harp.

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  4. When your brain is wired to improvise then it shuts down when told to play this certain part this certain way (and lets knock this thing out quickly and get out of here) and so it does sound brain dead; and Deadheads HATE the studio albums with to possible exception of Workingmans Dead...Terrapin Station, the "best"* one is hated the most!
    *It's their Sergent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band of them all....

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  5. I dunno I guess I just don't "get" the Grateful Dead.

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