DESCRIPTION:
Black Mountain-based harpist Andrew Jones performs his original composition "Circus Waltz" on the corner of Battery Park and Haywood Street in downtown Asheville, NC.

One of the best parts about updating the Busk Break archive is discovering recordings I'd completely forgotten about. A good example of this is my recording of Andrew Jones. Until just a few hours ago, I would have summed up my encounter with him something like this: He played the harp, he looked kind of like a young Art Garfunkel, and he was living in Black Mountain. I only recorded a single song, I recalled, probably I got the impression that he didn't want to be recorded.

As you're probably guessing, I found something that proves I'm actually remembering it wrong. And that's exactly the case. I'm way, way off on this one.

While the original video is lost to the ether, I did manage to find the original audio. It tells a totally different story, and one filled with detail. It turns out that I did a passable interview with Jones in our brief encounter.

It began with him agreeing to play an original tune. It's called "Circus Waltz." Here's the original recording.

While I remembered the conversation as somewhat terse, the audio reveals that we had a very pleasant chat. Jones was not only very forthcoming about his music, but actually quite friendly. I have no idea how I'd someone come to remember things so inaccurately.

So, let's set the record straight.

Andrew Jones began playing harp about seven years before this video was filmed. He didn't remember the exact moment he became interested in the instrument, but he did recall a few months of negotiations with his parents to allow him to begin taking lessons. His hometown has a "surprisingly big harp community," he explained. "It wasn't hard to find a place to rent a harp, or a harp teacher."

What does he like about the harp? It turns out to be the same reason that most people like listening to it.

"I've played some other instruments, and I listen to a lot of types of music," he said. "Nothing calms me down or puts me in the same peaceful mood that the harp does. It's a very therapeutic instrument."

More info: http://www.buskbreak.com/2013/12/andrew-jones-performs-circus-waltz-carolans-draught/