Re: [Harp-L] Re: Michalek Blues

["mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Guys and Gals 
I never new this man but the time to take him to the mat was when he was alive !
Even the Vikings honored the enemies they killed...let him go

IMHO 

Mike Wilbur 


On Oct 19, 2012, at 9:23 PM, Dave Murray <dmurray777@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> It's been a while since I've posted anything here but the talk about
> Chris got my attention. I live in Phoenix and used to go listen to him play.
> 
> Perhaps it's because I'm not a big fish in the small harp player pond,
> but I found him to be a nice guy and heard him say good things about
> other harmonica players, in contrast to his internet persona. He let
> people get on stage with him to play, gave them space and generally
> tried to make them sound good. He showed me how to tweak reeds and even
> gave me a mic for no reason at all. I liked him. But as my wife says,
> "That doesn't count honey, you like everyone" so who knows.
> 
> I thought he seemed insecure as "the fat Jew" (his words). I thought the
> Buddha reference was to his shape. My wife sometime pats my fat belly
> and jokes "Buddha" and my wife and I are both actually Buddhists. I
> don't know where he was really coming from with that. We never discussed
> religion or politics.
> 
> His lack of success as a musician may have been that he wanted "his
> band" to be his band, but I only remember him having a vocalist on stage
> once when I was there. People like vocals and not many musicians seem to
> make it without them.
> 
> How do you make it in the music business? I heard him play a wonderful
> gig with Jason Ricci at the Rhythm Room to a near empty bar on a
> weeknight. I took a friend from Georgia and his comment was that he
> really liked it but he had never heard the harp so "out front." Most
> people think of harp players as side men. If you aren't a harmonica
> player/enthusiast most people don't think much about the harp, or you.
> 
> There are some successful harmonica musicians posting here. As much as
> you "might" (I could be wrong) like to think that it's all about your
> virtuosity, I suspect that you've got something else going on along with
> that. Anyone willing to say what else it takes?
> 
> Anyway, I miss Chris. We obviously all see others through our own lens
> and didn't all know the same man. Rest in peace harmonica man.
> 
> Dave Murray
>