[Harp-L] Re:david naiditch and his band of gypsies

[JON KIP <jonkip@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

hey, I'm just listening to  David Naiditch's new Gypsy Jazz CD....

It's reminding me of Stephane Grappelli's playing...when he was  
alive.....and if he'd played chromatic harmonica.

A unique approach to harmonica that I find really fun.....

At first , it sounds like there's a jazz banjo involved, but that  
can't be the case, because who would listen to jazz banjo, even if it  
existed??

Yeah, it's jazz banjo... and it's really good. No Banjo Jokes here on  
this one.

Aside from being a unique listening experience, any chromatic player  
would be well-advised to transcribe at least a couple of the tunes and  
learn them up to speed (Bossa Dorado and Lady Be Good are good  
starting points)... also get David's bluegrass album and learn his  
version of "Blackberry Blossom" up to speed... no matter what style  
you like, learning to play those tunes will make you a better player.  
An inexpensive but somewhat time-consuming lesson for sure.

If you get a chance to see David play, you'll be amazed at how little  
effort he seems to use to make it all work... David seems to have  
stopped reading The Professional Harmonica Handbook before he got to  
that all-important  chapter where it says that audiences are impressed  
by seeing a player turn red, move all about and work up a sweat when  
they play even the simplest of passages....

David's learned to make the hardest of passages look and sound  
effortless.. a fine thing, to be appreciated by the blind and sighted  
alike.

I'd have to say that David's mom's review of his CD : (http://www.davidnaiditch.com/DavidNaiditch/Reviews.html 
)

"I’d rather a thousand camels fart in my ear than listen to this  
dreadful music."

doesn't reflect how I see things, but she's probably still harboring  
unexpressed resentments from the "Terrible Twos" that all parents  
endure during the child-raising process, so, in some ways,  it's  
understandable.

Anyhow, a fine album, CD or whatever they call them these days.... for  
listening and learning both.

Very nice playing.

kip, los angeles.