Re: Subject: Re: [Harp-L] looking for a new home...

[joe leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Jun 3, 2010, at 12:44 PM, Niall Tracey wrote:

> > I thought AJ explained his points of view as they applied to his  
> > initial
> > sign-up Rules & Regulations (quoted below). IF others have issues  
> > with this
> > idea - why not suggest (on Slidemeister) that perhaps yet another  
> > area be
> > set up  for just such cross-over discussions as this?
>
>
>
> The problem is that this isn't a discussion about diatonic  
> harmonicas any more than asking how to get a "Carlos Santana" tone  
> out of a short harp and electronics is a discussion about guitars,  
> or how to get a "Kenny G" tone is a conversation about saxophones.
>
>
> I was about in the way-back-when and remember the way Harp-L  
> threads about chromatics would sometimes get derailed by diatonic  
> players with no interest in the topic.

Exactly Niall. I'm so glad someone else has noticed. I thought I was  
loosing my memory. And I had mentioned this before and was promptly  
met with messages to the effect: 'well, if people wanted to talk  
about chromatics, the thread would have kept going. So, apparently  
the subject matter doesn't interest anyone'. I have time and time  
again seen a chromatic discussion get swamped by a sudden influx of  
posts having to do with such and such a player, such and such an amp,  
what's the difference between a Shure 57 & 58?, so and so is playing  
at such and such, what will happen if I swap my rx7s for dx8s. This  
is all fine and good, and we all have an option to avoid the posts  
that don't interest us.

Just as harp-l is diatonic centric and there is a lot of gear talk  
and individual players talk. slidemeister had a lot of maintenance  
talk and individual songs talk. There is no advertising and no  
promotions. I find that I trash about 2/3rds of the posts I intend to  
send to harp-l and I proof read every one. On slidemeister I just  
type and let it fly. In fact, I used to type pages and pages. Blackie  
Schackner, Doug Tate, Bill Price, and I used to answer all the  
harmonica questions.

> I understand perfectly why Slidemeister is there and why it has the  
> policies it does,

As I sneakily eluded to in MY post, it isn't diatonics 'Per Se', I  
think (and this is only a guess), that it was the blues factor that  
crept in. A.J. (as well as myself) are from north east mill towns.  
And although I recently did a couple months at the Edison (at Ft.  
Myers country club) with a blues band, we are not blues people. We  
are what is known in our particular area as 'Mill Hunkies'. Our  
families lived and died in the mills and mines. When I hoboed around  
the south in the early 60s, I heard a lot of greats while they were  
still alive. I like blues but I don't go out of my way over it.  But  
I do understand some people are passionate about it. And that's ok  
too. I respect their passion. But I have my passions too.

If given the choice between going to the grocery store or listening  
to a blues band while drinking Jax or Fallstaffs, I think I would  
choose the grocery store.

> but I think admin went over the top with this one.

Yes I agree, but I think there was some sort of misunderstanding? I  
think getting a diatonic sound out of a chromatic may have set a  
fuse. Just as getting a chromatic sound out of a diatonic would have  
unleashed a neuclear melt down.

In conclusion, I think Elizabeth hit numerous nails on numerous  
heads, and pretty much covered everything that could be considered  
controversial. Being the logical para-legal that she was, she has a  
very analytical way of dissecting things and putting them into  
perspective. A talent that shouldn't go unnoticed.

Just guessing....... smokey-joe


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