Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Charlie Leighton 1922- 2009

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

I've been taken with what others have had to say: Will, Rob and  
Richard...but now, you've finally made me cry, Val. What a wonderful tribute.  This 
afternoon Warren and I watched my DVD of the Pocket Full of Soul Volume 1  'In 
the Reeds' where so many great harmonica players we knew were  
featured...and there was Charley Leighton. A very poignant moment.
 
Elizabeth
 
"Message: 5
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:10:06 -0400
From:  gshcsunshine@xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Charlie Leighton 1922- 2009
To:  harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx, wgalison@xxxxxxx
Cc: Gshcsunshine@xxxxxxx


It is  with a heavy heart, upon learning of the passing of this wonderful 
and  inspirational man that I can gather up my thoughts now to share my 
feelings with  you. I was really fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of 
the "Leightons  Leightons" harmonica group that met every Tuesday at 
Charley's apartment in NYC.  I was the faithful audience that attended these 
wonderful sessions with Phil  Caltabellotta for around three years. My role was to 
listen, clap, take  pictures, pretend to conduct and enjoy the comraderie 
that took place with the  three mainstays of the group consisting of William 
Galison, Charles Spranklin  and Randy Weinstein who met at Charley's usually 
stating at 3:00 in the  afternoon,ending between 5 and 6.? I was surrounded 
by this wonderful sound and  always left there truly inspired! Charley 
would? look forward to the next week's  session saying that he never knew who 
else would be there and that was the only  time he would play his harmonica. 
The guys would be playing and the ring of his  doorbell would get Charley out 
of his chair to buzz in different visitors. Stan  Harper, Rob Paparozzi, 
Paul Davies, Gregoire Maret and Randy Singer were among  some who joined in 
when I was there.? 

And what an amazing sound Charley  could produce with that harmonica! Using 
the backgrounds of Jamey Abersold, Hal  Leonard and some tracks put 
together by Charles Spranklin, there would be  non-stop playing with trading off 
rounds, fun competition with each other and  ending every song all together, 
sometimes the sillier, the better! The one  person that would make Charley 
come alive was William and if Charley was getting  a little tired, once 
William walked in the door, he became totally revived and  laughed and played as 
if he were thirty years old! I can picture William getting  down on one knee 
playing right next to Charley with the two of them conducting a  harmonica 
"duel"!? When Charley's memory began to fade, Randy would sing the  song or 
Charles and Phil would play to get him back on track. It was a loving  group 
that I witnessed, bringing to mind one of Charley's signature songs "I  Cant 
Give You Anything But Love".? That's how I remember Charley."



-----Original Message-----
From: wgalison@xxxxxxx
To:  harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sun, Sep 27, 2009 12:32 pm
Subject: [Harp-L]  Charlie Leighton 1922- 2009

Dear Friends,

Our dear friend and  teacher, and perhaps the greatest harmonica player 
ever, 
Charles Leighton,  has died at age 88. Charlie was an eminently elegant, 
generous, gracious and  talented man. ?He taught us that as an instrument 
of 
tonal beauty and range  of expression,?the harmonica could stand proudly 
alongside any other melodic  instrument.

Moreover, Charlie was a musician of stunning virtuosity and  sensitivity. 
He 
would have been a celebrated master instrumentalist on any  instrument, and 
we 
can only be grateful that he chose the humble harmonica  to express his 
exquisite 
musicianship.

Charles was a great friend and  mentor to me and the others who descended 
on his 
apartment every Tuesday for  nearly thirty years, Those "Tuesdays" sessions 
witnessed astonishing  performances by Charlie as well as countless laughs, 
deep 
discussions and  simple affection among Charlie and his friends.?


_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYV5vU1Ju1k_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYV5vU1Ju1k) 

Charlie  was the "gold standard" of harmonica players, whose music will 
continue 
to  inspire and instruct as long as people continue to play the harmonica, 
in  
terms of tone, technique and sheer musicality.

This posting is not an  obituary, just a brief announcement. A few of 
Charlie's 
friends are working  on an obituary for the New York Times to be published 
soon, 
We will post it  here as well.?

At Charlie's request, there will be no formal funeral. We  are arranging a 
website to honor Charlie, and a celebration of his life and  music, to be 
held in 
the coming weeks, to which all will be invited. The  location and date will 
be 
announced on Harp L.

In our shared loving  memory of Charlie,

Will