[Harp-L] Standing around feeling stupid, average or pro

["John F. Potts" <hvyj@xxxxxxx>]

 I can fit harp to all sorts of tunes that don't have harp on the  
original, but there are some tunes that don't require harp and just  
won't sound good with harp. Harmonica, like (for example) sax,  
doesn't necessarily fit with all material.  And even playing on  
certain material where harp does fit, I will sometimes lay out more  
than i play, depending on the particular tune,  because it's  
important to let the music breath. But on some tunes it's more  
important not to play at all.

I played News Years Eve with a blues band that i sound good playing  
with and which, quite frankly,  sounds good playing with me. Anyway,   
for reasons i have never understood, the singer likes to do the 60's  
R&B ballad, "My Girl"' at some point during each show.  I'm not a  
regular member of them band but I've played with them often enough to  
know what they do. What do i do when the band plays "My Girl"?  I  
leave the stage -- go sit down, get a drink, talk to friends, admire  
the singers' red sequin jacket, or whatever.  Then i go back up for  
the next tune, which is the professional thing to do.  Don't force  
feed the music.

JP