Mitch Weiss and Bill Barrett

[Mojo Red <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi gang,

(I already posted this review to Harp-On! and Harp
Talk, but Harp-L was down at the time, so I'm
re-posting it to Harp-L now. If you've already read
it, feel free to delete. --Ken)

My friend Mitch Weiss just finished a couple of
awesome new songs he produced with jazz maestro
Bill Barrett.

I recently had a chance to give them a listen (on
Mitch's MP3 site) and once again I am floored by
Mitch's harp abilities and creative arrangements.
But teaming up with Bill Barrett was certainly a
good move as the two styles, though distinct, make
for a great combination.

"Miles Away" is a Weiss original that pays tribute
to the great Miles Davis. The two harpsters
interweave some truly masterful licks in this
super-cool smoky-bar number. A real treat to anyone
aspiring to the jazz side of the coin and at the
same time very bluesy.

The other song is a fine cover of Stevie Wonder's
"Superstition". Here Mitch's arranging abilities
shine as he creates an original groove for a
classic tune, truly making it his own. Again, the
blend of Mitch and Bill's harp mastery is a real
treat. Funky, jazzy and highly original!

Mitch uses a CX-10 with a modified Richter tuning
and Bill is playing on a CX-12 in bebop tuning. 

When I gave these tunes a listen, I tried to guess
who's solo was who's, based on what I already know
about Mitch's style, but as it turns out, I got it
all wrong as he later pointed out to me. 

I'm truly in awe of the level of technical harp
mastery these two guys exhibit, but musically, it's
just plain good! 

If you're interested, Mitch has posted both these
songs his website:
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/61/mitch_weiss.html

Harpin' in Colorado,
- --Ken M.

=====
"When you speak of Walter Horton, the first thing you think of is his tone, that big, fat tone."
- ---Li'l Ronnie Owens

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