[Harp-L] Ford/Butterfield



I'd be curious to hear Mark Ford"s comments on this but I always felt Mark was truly one of a kind.
If you are basing your opinion of him by Recordings you are not getting the true picture.
Night after night, Garth Webber and Mark Ford created a guitar/Harp unison in harmony.
Unless you saw them live, it is hard to explain the energy. The dance floor was full.
There was a generation of harp players in the San Jose/San Francisco area who tried unsuccessfully
to get his sound. Andy Just did this new form justice with Chris Cain on Guitar and maybe Paul Butterfield
was pushed in new directions by his set of young, talented, energetic guitar players. I don't know.


I once played a recording of Mark Ford to music loving friend who asked me who was playing the guitar.
To this end, I went out and got a Lab Series amp and the same mic he used. Could not even come close to
getting that power or that sound. There were a lot of guys ( harp players) who were not ready for him and his dance floor
full of beautiful dancing women. ( I was) It Did not seem fair when the guys we worshiped who played the old style blues were
not getting the same reaction or crowd. Nowadays there seems to be room and an audience for both.


I understood where Ford and Just and these guys were coming from. They could pair up with the Guitar licks.
I think I hear this in Ricci's playing. Raw power. But I have not seen him live so I cannot make a comment for sure.
I did see Butter live a few days before he passed.


He was in San Franciso and he took a break and put a wet towel over his head in the downstairs Cafe/Bar.
A girl ( in tears) was pleading with him not to go play any more and I almost went home because I thought he was done.
Up until that time I was a fan but I placed him among my many favorites.


When he retook the stage for the final set he completely blew my mind...I did not know that kind of Power could come from
this instrument. Now I wish I would have had a chance to see him in his early years. This was the single most moving set
I have ever witnessed and yet I was not a big fan before this.


I love to see these guys live...and do every chance I get.

Grant







This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and MHonArc 2.6.8.