[Harp-L] Don Les

[Mick Zaklan <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>]

   Pat, I believe, knew exactly who Don Les was.  One of my enduring
memories of the that fest was Don appearing to flee Pat, who was in his ear
and matching him stride for stride.  I think that Pat might have even had
his casino card dealer work clothes on.  Pat was having a ball interacting
with everybody.  I remember him in a hallway with some chord and bass
players really cooking on a "My Babe" or "This Train" type jam.  He was
just eating up that chord progression.
   I think that fest was Don's last one; that he passed away before the
next one.  One of the sweet things was that a young kid, maybe 12 or 13
years old had come from Germany with his dad.  Don was his idol.  The kid
had memorized Don's diatonic solos and wound up onstage with him.  I think
that had to make Don feel really good; it was like a torch was being
passed.  I often wonder what happened to that kid.

Mick Zaklan