Washington Square Park Sunday 4/29

With the nice weather I have been out in the park the last couple of weekends. Last Sunday I went out with just the harmonicas. No one expects you to lead any songs when you don't have a guitar, so there's a lot less pressure.

My harmonica playing is improving, though I'm still just making it up as I go. Sometimes I can't find the note I'm looking for. Other times, something very simple, like a single note or chord at just the right moment will add a lot to a song.

I'm playing regular Hohner diatonic harps (harmonica). I have a few different keys: A, B, C, D, E and G. I am missing F, and don't have any sharps or flats. Most of my harps are "blues harps" though the C is a classic "marine band" (same kind I had when I was 15), and the G is a "Pro Harp".

There were bunch of different people out on Sunday. Pete knows a lot of songs, and did a really nice singing lead on a doo wop with Arthur and Dan. "In the Still of the Night" (?) He's also working on one of my favorite Waylon Jennings songs: Honky Tonk Heroes, and did a few Hank tunes like Jambalaya and Cheating Heart.

A guy named Michael came by with a new old 12-string that he got for $135 online. It sounded pretty good. He does Dylan, Hank and a bunch of old-timey stuff.

Larry did a few of his songs. I like his version of Lovin' Spoonful's "Nashville Cats". He also does "Mr. Bojangles" in E. I had no problem following him. I had to capo up from C, and it was like playing in my sleep--this was one of the first songs I ever learned. Larry told me that he teaches high school Social Studies in Brooklyn.

There was a Puerto Rican guy named Carlos, who strummed along a bit, but didn't lead. I finally convinced him to do "Rancho Grande". I borrowed his guitar a couple of times, did "Early Morning Rain", "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues", Hank Williams' "Move it on Over" (twice). I did CCR's "Don't Look Now" but don't quite have the lyrics down.

Jerry came by. Jerry is a big guy with bright red dyed hair. I think he's done some singing at piano bars. He sings but doesn't play an instrument. He did "Boogey Woogey Bugle Boy of Company B", and sort of half did Mac Davis' "I Believe in Music".

Not much of an audience this time, just a few people coming and going. Sometimes it's fun to play different things with different people, and not worry so much about pleasing the people who are listening. On the other hand, sometimes something clicks, and it's nice to have an appreciative audience to confirm that you did a good job.