Glass (H)armonica

[MASCARO at humnet.ucla.edu]

Matt, you might not have to go to Berkely to hear an harmonica of glass.
It may be right at hand. Ever since the scene in M & D where dear 
old Ben demonstrates his, I have been remembering that back when
 I last lived in Philly, 1990 or so, there was a guy would show up on Head
 House Square, right smack in the middle of the olde
 city near the Delaware that is the backdrop of  M & D, and the
 guy would unpack his case and inside it there was a glass harmonica and
 he played it beautifully.  Since the Franklin scene, I have been
 wondering if Pynchon, roaming those streets as he was
 writing the novel, ever saw this guy.
  I dunno if he's still performing, but I used to see him on weekends. 
 Big crowd pleaser was that *Blue Danube*--he really kicked out
the jams on that one!  ;-}

john m
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Weiner from Wistar writes:
>
>If you have never heard a glass harmonica, then *go*.  I was lucky--
>out in Berkeley, there was a fellow who played one, rather well I
>thought to my unmusical ear, on Sproul Plaza every so often.  You
>had to listen very carefully.  The only bit I remember was the theme
>from "Chariots of Fire".  Astonishing enough music to begin with,
>made even more so by the glass harmonica.