Howard Levy, Chromatics, ...

[Steven=DE=BRUYN%sys%SOC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Hi Harp-L,

Just my two francs worth on a couple of questions and comments.
                                                              
Winslow Yerxa wrote :
 
>  By the way, the new Rabih Abouh Khalil album with Howard Levy is
>  now out. I saw it in Tower yesterday. "The Sultan's Dream" (I
>  think - too much pre-holiday shopping) is the title. It's on
>  Enja.

The new CD of Rabih Aboe Khalil on Enja featuring Howard Levy is called "The 
Sultan's picknick". I bought it after their concert. It's one of my favourite 
CD's for the moment, although the concert was even more impressive. I've seen 
quite a lot of harp players, but I've never seen anyone as impressive and 
innovative as Howard Levy. Most of the tunes he was using a cup -like a cup 
for coffee- to fatten his tone. Both live and on CD he's given a lot of 
"space" to play.

christian.laferriere asks :

>  I recently got a copy of SUgar Blue's new album. I was just wondering if 
>  anyone could identify the very long harp he is holding in his hand on the 
>  photo. If someone can identify it, where can they be obtained from?

Sugar Blue's harp on the cover of his CD "Blue Blazes" is probably a Hohner 
Chromatica (M263), one of the harmonica ensemble instruments (Bass, Chord). 
Every hole is an ascending chromatic note, and has the same note both on the 
draw and the blow note. Something like this :

	Draw  | G | Ab | A | Bb | B | C | C# | ... | F''
        --------------------------------------------------
	Blow  | G | Ab | A | Bb | B | C | C# | ... | F''             

The price of such an instrument is not cheap, approx. 300 $. I wonder 
whether he really uses that instrument. Maybe some people on Harp-l 
who've seen Suger Blue live could say something more about it.

On mon, 21 nov, I asked :
>>  ... a friend of mine told me he found an old chromatic harmonica
>>  that looks a little bit like a UFO. After examination over the phone I
>>  found out it looks like a Golden Melody, but larger, all iron, and 
>>  with a slide. It's the same harmonica as Toots Thielemans holds on the
>>  cover of his first re-released CD -Man bites harmonica), a very cool-
>>  looking harp. Looks like one of those old Cadillac cars. Does anyone 
>>  knows the quality of this harp, the model, and how much I should offer
>>  him to buy it ?               

On tue, 22 nov, Jack Getz answered :
>  Of course, Hohner's Chromettas - the Chrometta 8, Chrometta 10,
>  Chrometta 12 - all resemble a Golden Melody in general shape. Plastic
>  comb, large holes, easy to play. I've found the tone of the Chrometta
>  to be - How should I say it? - less bell-like than other chromatics.

Thanks Jack, but I'm sure it is not a Hohner Chrometta. The comb isn't made 
of plastic, but is the same material as the cover plates (iron ?). I remember 
my friend saying it had something like Chromonica Deluxe on the cover plates. 
The slide is not a button like on most chromatics, but is rather a design 
slide built-in in the side of the comb.

You can always E-mail me personnaly about this weird chrom. I'm quite curious 
about it. 

Bye for know, Harp well !

Steven De bruyn.

Steven.Debruyn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(or FSAAA08@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)