[Harp-L] re: Stevie Wonder Drops by at NAMM, & Other News

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is rather late in response, but, well so be it.

I just wanted to thank Brendan for the excellent NAMM report he  
wrote.  That sounds like it was a really fun time, and having Stevie  
Wonder stop by and play like that would be my idea of heaven.  He has  
had impacts at NAMM before--Stevie basically put the company E-Mu and  
their Emulator sampler on the map at a show in the early 80's when he  
gave one a big hug after playing it.

Now to some specifics (all quotes are Brendan):

"Federico Gonzalez Pena, who played the Melodion and an interesting  
new mouth-blown Suzuki keyboard instrument called the Andes (sounds  
like a cross between recorder, kalimba (thumb-piano) and pan flute)."

I Googled this, but sadly don't read Japanese and so was only able to  
figure out some things.  I have a ton of questions, most probably not  
germane to this list, but the basic is this: what is the sound  
production?  Is this basically like a mouth-blown organ with a single  
flue pipe for each note?  If so, I will be buying one--soon.

On a slightly more harmonica related note, now that you're with  
Suzuki, might you possibly be able to convince them to see about  
producing a version of the calliomonica/pipe harmonica which Sam  
Hinton plays so well on his two CD set?  I can't remember the name of  
the inventor (and thus the patents), but I so want a set of those  
(flue pipes which play on both blow and draw and are lain out like a  
harmonica--thus the "pipe harmonica" name).  I know, it probably  
wouldn't be the best business decision, but, dammit, I haven't been  
able to figure out how it works well enough to make one for myself  
and maybe Suzuki could (or maybe Hinton would be willing to loan the  
prototypes he has out to you to help get your designers over the  
humps as it were).

Oh, as always--if anyone reading this hasn't bought Sam Hinton's CD  
set, do so.  That's some of the most amazing playing you will ever hear.

"Hering had their new overblow diatonics on display, the Silver Blow  
and Golden Blow. These are hand-customised by a person working for  
the factory. When no-one was looking Madcat let me try them. "

:)  That said, it's sad to see that the era of horribly named  
harmonicas continues unabated.

" Hohner also had their new CX-12 Jazz chromatic on display, brought  
out in response to all those who like the CX-12 but find it too bulky  
in the mouth. They have narrowed the front profile by milling away  
the plastic of the original models and then coating in smooth purple  
finish. It lookks good; they wouldn't let me try it though!"

There is a photo on the Hohner website of it [ http://www.hohner.eu/ 
index.php?1369 ]   if people want to see.  As one of those people who  
love the CX-12 but don't take kindly to the lockjaw it causes in me,  
I'll have to see about checking this out.  I also just want to say  
that I think it's great that Brendan is willing to report on his  
competitors new stuff as well--a truly high class move by any  
definition.

"Suzuki prototype chromatics he'd heard about. These have silver- 
coated brass combs, silver-plated covers, long-slot reeds, and come  
in 12 and 16 hole sizes with precision slider movements in both  
straight and cross-style configurations."

That's a neat idea--so that people can choose which they want and not  
be stuck, especially in a high end model, with the slider type they  
don't like just because they like all the other features.  That said,  
the idea of silver-coated brass combs makes me think that you could  
give up your gym membership and just practice your scales for an hour  
a day and have it covered...

"He loved the new chromatics, and was presented with a 16 hole and 12  
hole of his choice. Then Gregoire and Francesco turned up, and had a  
jam on the Andes and Suzuki chromatic harps. Gregoire was in heaven,  
as Stevie is his idol and he shares a birthday with him. He played  
brilliantly and Stevie really appreciated this new master of the soul/ 
jazz chromatic. Stevie then tried the Andes and had it wailing in 10  
seconds!"

Just awesome.  I really wish something like this would show up on  
Youtube someday.

"Needless to say the Suzuki staff were finding it hard to stifle  
their pride at Stevie's appreciation of the new chromatics, and were  
soon on the phone to Hamamatsu giving the good news to their young  
designers Toku and Masaru."

:)

"For those of you interested in the new luxury Suzuki chromatics,  
they are to be officially released around April, along with a new  
silver-coated brass-combed diatonic produced in a limited edition."

Interesting.  What platform will this diatonic be?  The Pure Harp,  
Firebreath (IIRC--too lazy to google it right now) reed-plates and  
covers?

Thanks so much for the great report, and I hope you're recovering  
from the convention--it always takes a while to come back to reality,  
IMO



 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()
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