[garww]

Originally Posted by Styles Bitchley

When I was first learning to play I must have seen Mountain at least 8 or 9 times at the Eastown Theater in Detroit. You could get close enough to see what he was actually doing, and that got me out of the chord books and into being able to improvise in major and minor keys in a couple of positions. There was no tab or easy way to learn things, you did it by ear and trial and error. The fact that he played simply and melodically made it possible to pick a few learning blocks up and expand from there. I'm sure there are lots of players that owe a lot to him.

For sure !! I was lucky to have clubs that had great acts starting around '66. Original Mac, Albert King, that Led Something or other group. The Kinetic Playground/Electric Theater in Chicago had those three act weekends (75 mile drive) - just wild and a real lesson every time. I was quite grizzled by the time Mountain Climbing came out so I didn't give him the notice he deserved - but I never forgot him and had been looking to grab some of his stuff just these last few years.