[Harp-L] Great harmonica players of the past...

[MundHarp@xxxxxxx]

I was saddened when I heard that Albert Raisner  had passed away...  But I 
had been even more affected by the passing of Chris  Michalik ...Sadly,  
Chris and I were NOT "buddies"...  When we first played music together, he took 
an instant dislike to me! He  later "said what he thought" about me, on 
various internet sites... THAT  WAS HIS WAY! I didn't even know about that till 
many months later.. Chris  rarely apologized about anything.... Which was a 
great shame. Eventually,  probably because we were both "DOG PEOPLE" we 
made up our differences... He even  repaired half a dozen of my harmonicas for 
me, when I was staying in Arizona  last year.
All I'm trying to say... Chris was just 39 years old... To pass away so  
young... as a fit man, and as a sportsman... IS JUST TERRIBLE.  He was a  
wonderful musician, and at heart, a good man too.
I wish I'd got to know him better!
Albert Raisner was 88 when he died... Well... His passing is sad TOO. He  
was also a great harp player.
The REALLY sad thing is that these days, so few folks had even KNOW  about 
the great Albert Raisner. 
He was, simply, one of the most innovative  harp players, in  Europe, 
during the 1940s and 1950s. He played his "chrom" like a "blues  harp"...
 
I'm all choked up. So many good people gone!
 
God bless them all.
 
John "Whiteboy" Walden
Cebu City
Philippines