[Harp-L] RE: inspiration

[Dan Hazen <bluesmandan76@xxxxxxxxx>]

I bought a harmonica on a lark when I was 15. I had no musical background
and no musical intentions. It was at a kiosk in a mall, and I thought it
would be  funny, you know, for annoying friends and whatnot. And whaddaya
know I breathed through it and liked it. I quickly learned to chug. I have
no idea where I got my ideas of playing harmonica... I don't ever remember
hearing harmonica played, except on a few Tom Petty tunes or something like
that, certainly not chugged. When I went to college, i played it when I
drove back and forth from school, or when I was walking across campus. At
some point I found a little how to play harmonica book... by Tony Glover, I
think... and he wrote about some great harmonica players and their tunes...
so I went to the college library audio section to try to find them... and
found some Sonny Terry. More chugging. Then I bought a CD... Bluesmasters,
with all kinds of harp players on it... and I tried to get that blues
microphone sound but all I had was a cheap little radio shack toy
microphone that worked wirelessly through a boombox. I remember spending
hours upon hours trying to memorize every lick from that CD... and trying
to play Christo Redemptor which was just impossible cuz charlie was playing
on a low F# and all I had was a G... Those were the days. What was my
inspiration, though... honestly I have no idea, because I didn't know
anything about harmonica or harmonica players. I think it must have just
been the sound of breathing through a harmonica.