[Harp-L] Don Les

[Mick Zaklan <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>]

   I attended my first harmonica fest in 1990, the "Dixie Fest" in
Birmingham, Alabama.  Then I made most the SPAH conventions since '91.
There were a few diatonic players back then that seemed to be universally
respected; Don Les was one, a jazz player named Johnny O'Brien, and Charlie
McCoy.  I think there was an attitude, though, that the diatonic was your
starter harmonica.  Then you put on your big boy pants and purchased a
chromatic.  That the diatonic was kind of like the training wheels on a
bicycle.
   Pretty hard to ignore Don Les and his expertise on the diatonic.  He had
people following him around all day at the fests.  I watched Pat Ramsay
shadowing him in Memphis like a puppy dog, trying to get info.  I don't
believe Don and Jerry Murad were on speaking terms; I watched them cross
paths and completely ignore one another.

Mick Zaklan