Re: Joey D & the BC

[GOFFProf@aol.com]

Sal wrote a great post about a recent show with Joey DeFrancesco: 

>.....In June 1995, I witnessed just how far Joey D. has matured as an
artist.  I
>saw him burn a club down playing a horrible BC/142 owned by the club.  I
>could not have entertained myself for 10 seconds on this instrument, much
>less entertain anyone else for 10 minutes, but Joey killed us for 180
>minutes.....<<

He certainly has matured as a professional and will hopefully be around for a
long time! 

Sal's story backs up my opinion that in the hands of a Master, anything
sounds great!  (Some neat tech work always help, too. Way to go Sal!)

I had a similar problem with a horrible rental organ at the Beacon Theater
during the Benson & Hedges Blues Festival.  Jimmy McGriff had called me prior
to the show and asked me to show up early to eat dinner with him and take a
look at the B-3 & Leslie 122 he had rented locally. Same story as Sal's --
turned out to be a dogmeat organ which required serious work just to start.
 After 2 hours and many tech tricks and mods, it sounded OK, but Jimmy made
it dance and talk.  

I think the most important part of Sal's post was the last part when he put
the organ back together for the club owner.  I also spent 15 minutes putting
the crappy B-3 Jimmy rented "back together" for the rental company.  It was
back to stock and terrible. The owner called just before the show and asked
Jimmy what I had done to his organ? Jimmy told him I fixed it completely and
made it playable. Turns out the owner rented it out because he knew Jimmy
would have someone to work on it. He had sent his worst B to this rental. I
was certainly not happy that some sorry-ass rental manager tried to screw
Jimmy at such an important show.  

THAT'S why I undid my work. I have a feeling Sal felt the same way when he
returned the BC to original "pre-show" condition -- bad! (Sal -- payback's a
bitch, isn't it?)  :-)

Al