The Tao of Walking Ridge

I’ve long been a fan of Lee Oskar harmonicas. So when I started trying to play in a brace, I tired the Lee Oskar brace. Though wire, it is fairly firm. Plenty firm enough for folk riffs. I find that with a hand to help hold the harp, some aggressive blues licks can also be played. This trick works well when playing guitar with open tuning, where a free hand can occasionally be used to hold the harp.

I’ve tried a few braces, and I found the Lee Oskar harp brace to udjust well and hold its position well.  The wing nuts are easy to use and readjust if necessary as I’m playing.

I did learn something the hard way.  I had bought some Hohner Special 20 harps, figuring that they might be better for folk and take a little more abuse if I blew too hard while concentrating on strumming.  I understood the comments I found online that the harmonicas were hard to get in and out of the Lee Oskar brace, but I still thought overall it was worth it.  Then I put a Lee Oskar harmonica in the brace and discovered it isn’t exactly the same size!  Lee Oskars are just a bit smaller, and they pop in and out easily.

So if you want to play harp on a brace, I can highly recommend a Lee Oskar brace, especially if you are going to use it with Lee Oskar harmonicas.  An additional advantage is the availability of minor key harps from Lee Oskar.  Though tone may be the deciding factor, I’ve grown accustomed to the blend of chords and the ability to precisely select higher notes that are crisp and cut through the mix.  I also find the Lee Oskar harp bends more easily.

To celebrate the Baldwin Cafe in Lake Orion, Michigan (3010 Baldwin Rd, at the corner of Waldon) becoming a no smoking cafe, I offered to create a painting for the restaurant. The owners were appreciative, and offered to frame what I painted.

A wall and furniture in the diner style restaurant is red, so this formed a cornerstone of the color palette.  Along the way, the pale blue against the warm tones created a sort of art deco effect that I really liked.  The theme also had to capture the feeling of sitting at the bar watching the cooks prepare the food right in front of you.

The painting evolved as I painted it.  The original sketch was only of the dining counter and stools with patrons.  But the right side of the painting had too much empty space so the booths were added.  Then the left had too much empty space so the cook and grill were added.  There was probably more that could be added, but you have to stop sometime and I wanted to keep it simple and bold.

Baldwin Cafe - Brian Kelly, 2008 - acrylic on canvas board, 16″ x 18″