Topic: Who do you want to see at Port Townsend?

[Peghead Howell]

Hi, Everybody,, I will second John Miller on Robert Lowry, as I also recommended on my online form to Centrum..  Robert is a very nice and he has a good teaching style,, while putting on he doesn't teach well,, as a "newer" player in 2004??? He left me with a lot of open tuning stuff that opened that door wide for me. While you hear Robert with Virgil Thrasher mostly,, at least on my (2) cd's he did quite well with all the harps going on at camp that year.. as John mentioned,, very curious with all the players at his classes, circulating around to make sure people were "GETTING IT".    Thank's.

[Buzz]

Howdy, Podnahs!

Whew...whom else to recommend...

I also vote for Robert Lowry. I recall his being there several years ago, and enjoyed his 'presence'--he has a peaceful, centered dignity, which , for me at least, is part of the 'hook' that grabs me and compels me to stop and listen. I agree with John's point about his sense of time. I would like to have him back again, because I think he has so much insight and experience he can pass on in small class doses to us all. But... I would want to be able to go to his class, and John's also, and not have to miss John's to attend Robert's ! So, John, I guess you'll have to give repeat afternoon classes on those days he teaches in the morning! 

I agree with votes for an 'early jazz' class by a guitarist/musician who can demonstrate the natural transition from the country blues chords, chord patterns, and phrasing to the early jazz patterns. I enjoy playing King Oliver and Louis Armstrong tunes, (and can slowly transpose from Eb to our more common E, G keys, etc.  ), and I am loving learning "Sweet Substitute" on guitar (thanks Lightnin', for recording it in von Ronck's version on your CD!)... but I also would like to learn a bit more about the theory behind the progressions, or how Lonnie Johnson got from where he started to where we hear him now. I also think it is good for all of us guitar players to learn to use the entire fretboard, even with bar chords, on a daily basis, which I do a lot more playing early jazz tunes along with my friend on his clarinet or fiddle.

Now that Howard Armstrong has crossed over, and we lost one of our finest connections to this wonderful music, I think we need to keep this genre in mind, keep it alive for us in our lives. I vote for including a man or woman on faculty who can excite us about this music and show us/help us to play these old tunes together: like guitar, fiddle, mando, bass, even piano. We did a little of this with Andra Faye, fiddle and mandolins, and it was totally cool. She may be one who can do this, or Ann Rabson, or others I don't even know.

I agree with Wax that Wendy was a total hoot--everyone was charged up by her delivery, all guitarists wanted to join in, very contagious, and she is so nice! I look forward to hearing her duo with Wax.

Thanks for listening. I miss our House PArty...didn't we have a fabulous Blues Camp this summer? Thanks John, Andrew, Jed, PEter, everyone for getting the house reservation thing going  several years ago, for keeping Weenie Campbell going strong. Thanks Temple and JAn for the flamingo and icicle lights, the fun and cheer...

Buzz

[Buzz]

Remembered this just after signing off yesterday:

Ted Howard , from Sitka, AK, is known to us Weenies. He has really excelled on the mandolin the last 2 years. He has compiled a great 'how to jam' booklet for mando players, and he gave many of us in Ms. Faye's class, copies of it. I think that Ted could be a very effective teacher for beginner and intermediate mandolin, hell, maybe even higher levels. He really knows his way up and down the fretboard, and is terrific in jams.
I can recommend him highly as a teacher for PT 2008. I would defer to Ted for questions about any combo he would play with in the Clubs, such as Ms. Faye did.  Incidently, I went to the Uptown bar and enjoyed Sat nite shows a lot, Ms. Faye's especially. (I also thought  Ms. Lauren Sheehan was terrific on the Pavilion stage in her single tune--which set a very high standard of grace and style for those who followed her on stage-- and in the clubs.

Cheers, y'all,
Miller