[Harp-L] What first attracted you to harmonica? Why did you learn to play it?

[Slim Heilpern]

Great stories, everyone!

Hear’s mine (in short form):

I had been playing at a very beginner level ever since my dad gave me his one of his well-used super chromonica 270’s when I was 5 years old. I played it a lot for a while but had set it aside once I started playing guitar at age 8. But then in my late teens I was listening to a Django Reinhardt compilation and two songs came on featuring Larry Adler, who I was familiar with via some pop and classical 78s/EPs that my father had in his collection. But here he was swingin’ hard along with Django and I was stunned enough by the performance to get out my old chromatic and start practicing. Not long after I started listening to Stevie Wonder and then Toots. Those 3 gentlemen were and remain, all these years later, a huge inspiration to me. Between them, it’s all there.

- Slim.

> On Mar 2, 2017, at 7:38 PM, Dan Hazen <bluesmandan76 at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> I wonder what your stories are...