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6. What Professional (or other) was/is your influence?

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SlideMeister:
Although there is a chance it might not have been even a Chromatic player, what player (professional or otherwise - alive or dead) was/is your influence. Again, keep your answer short, and no discussion.

Grizzly:
I'd have to say Robert Bonfiglio for starters. He can do it all.

Tom

SlideMeister:
Anyone that plays better than I do (and that I like to listen to) is a positive influence for me.
This probably sounds weird, but sometimes I'd rather just listen to myself :-\

Gnarly He Man:
I'm letting Bill Barrett influence me . . .
But truthfully, I just see the horn as an instrument, there was no one inspiring me to play chromatic.
I got good at diatonic, started retuning, and wound up with a slide harmonica.

Bluesy:
In order not to become too derivative, I think it's important to listen to top players of instruments other than chromatic harmonica. For that reason I try to take my cues from Desmond, Getz, Baker, Bill Evans, Joe Pass, Stitt, Cannonball, etc. Not that I could ever hope to duplicate on harmonica what they play on their instruments, but just to have their sound in my head. My brother's piano sound comes through a lot now that he's no longer with us. (What am I talking about? It did while he was alive!)
I find that if I listen to Toots too much, his figures are all I can hear in my mind when I'm working on a solo.
Actually too, I love the sweet and very French approach of Paul Lassey, and wish he would record more American ballads and bossa nova things. I love his "Luiza".
And I do love Hendrik Meurkens and listen to anything I can by him. I particularly like that he doesn't make a big production out of soloing, but just quietly blows the notes with a jazz feel - and great skill, I might add. He seems always to play with great trios.

Tom/

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