[Harp-L] What first attracted you to harmonica?

[Lew Aldridge]

An uncle was posted to Germany after the war where he learned to play chromatic harmonica.  He got me interested and gave me a chromatic he'd brought over from Germany (wish I'd kept it but that's another story.  I played for a few years strictly for myself and then forgot about it when I got married again - practice can be a bit antisocial in a small flat with a new wife.  

30 years later I took up the guitar and got into blues.  In a local music shop I saw  the Hohner Blues Band set (7 harps in a case) for about £35, so I thought what's to lose and bought them.  I soon remembered the fun I had before and got back up to speed.  I then moved to Spain and in conversation with a local bar owner who also ran a band mentioned I played guitar and harmonica.  He wasn't interested in my guitar playing as there were plenty of good players around looking for a gig but his eyes lit up for a decent harmonica player as for some reason they were pretty rare in that area.  So I joined his band and had a ball.  As well as that I played chromatic in a jazz trio.

Now back in the UK permanently and play jam sessions as I'm too old to be bothered with the stress of band work. 

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