[Harp-L] BCH-48 Bass/Chord Harmonica; Jason on Chrom

["Brendan Power" <bren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'd like to draw your attention to a couple of cool videos featuring
Suzuki's new models introduced at SPAH.

BCH-48 BASS/CHORD HARMONICA
I think this could be the ensemble harmonica to make the majority of us
strictly diatonic/chromatic players look with new eyes at those big unwieldy
accompaniment types, the Bass and Chord harmonicas. The BCH-48 combines
both: a bass note and it's adjacent chord for 48 major, minor, seventh,
diminished and augmented cords.

In the mouth of a good player it sounds REAL funky. Check out this clip of
'Summertime' played by Tomoya Ouchi on the BCH-48, and the excellent Koei
Tanaka on the Fabulous F-64C:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0BFnWVeU7A

Isn't that a great sound? I can hear a lot more new, intriguing double
harmonica combinations in the future using the BCH-48. I was lucky to have
George Miklas join me at SPAH on the fast changes of Dill Pickle Rag using
it, and it sounds great on Blues too.

Perhaps the BCH-48 will be the instrument to make the harmonica ensemble
'cool' again...

JASON PLAYS THE G48 CHROMATIC
For some diatonic players, trying the chromatic is almost as big a jump as
trying a more obviously different harmonica like the BCH-48. It takes an
open mind and natural talent to make the switch to a different harp work
well, and the great Jason Ricci has both in spades. (I call him 'the great'
advisedly, because I think we're lucky to have one of the all-time great
harmonica masters sharing his music with us via his YouTube videos and
awesome live performances. Too often the Greats only get acknowledged after
their death; let's not make that mistake with our contemporaries like Jason
and Howard).

Jason has a restless spirit and, despite his awesome skills on overblow
diatonic, is disarmingly humble and always keen to learn something new. He's
been noodling on chromatic for a while, and really enjoyed the new Suzuki
Gregoire Maret chromatics at SPAH. Tachikawa-san of Suzuki presented him
with his favourite, the G48 with blue metal covers, and Jason has kindly
returned the favour by putting up a video demonstrating some of his emerging
style on the chrom:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjUJ5qNqzpI

Despite his short time on the chromatic, Jason gets a beautiful sound and is
already making it his own - as he has done on the diatonic. (I guess he's
been playing it so much he's worn through the neoprene slide buffer; Suzuki
should send him a bunch of replacements...). 

He plays a rocking chord harmonica too! As always, inspirational.

Brendan Power
WEBSITE: http://www.brendan-power.com
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/BrendanPowerMusic