[Harp-L] Levy review

[Mick Zaklan <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>]

   Caught an unusual Howard Levy gig last weekend.  Of course, with Howard,
the unusual is usual.
   He and ragtime pianist Reginald Robinson were guesting with the Chicago
Jazz Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble, a fifteen piece jazz orchestra led by
trumpeter Orbert Davis.  Contained within the ensemble was a string section
and several exceptional soloists.  It was to be a salute to New Orleans
music and Mardi Gras.
   So it was a chance to hear Howard blow on some unfamiliar material in an
orchestral setting; plus him having to match solos with some pretty heavy
hitters.  I figured he would be inspired and stimulated by this setting and
he was; laying out some pretty impressive stuff on the eight tunes he was
featured.
   Davis stretched the NOLA theme a bit by adding a couple of early Duke
Ellington tunes, "Mood Indigo," and "Jubilee Stomp."  He reasoned that
Ellington's band was staffed by several New Orleans musicians when these
pieces were composed.  Howard has recorded "Mood Indigo" before and blew an
excellent coffee mug solo, kind of conjuring up a tipsy Mardi Gras reveller.
"Jubilee Stomp" was a tad ragged but fun to hear Levy blowing unison lines
with Orbert's trumpet.  The tempo was brisk and I noticed he had to switch
harps several times.
   I didn't envy Howard having to follow an absolutely gorgeous version
of "When It's Sleepy Time Down South" by Davis.  But he managed to match it
two tunes later.  Davis scored a beautiful string arrangement of "Do You
Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans" for Levy and he just soared through
it.  The orchestra laid out for the most part, so it was just Howard and
the string section.  I immediately flashed on the "Parker With Strings"
recording.  When you think about it, Howard really is the diatonic
harmonica's Charlie Parker.  Few would argue that he has managed to
radically expand the technique and vocabulary of the "short harp."  Anyway,
"Do You Know" was the highlight of the evening for me and I'd love to hear
Howard do a recording with a big string section.  Probably unlikely,
considering the cost, but I can tell you that the sound of his
diatonic floating through the swirling strings was one I won't forget.
   Howard also took a crack at a couple of N'Awluns parade anthems, "Iko
Iko" and "Jokomo Fee Nay Nay."  Sounded fine, sometimes I'd like to hear a
few more spaces and extended notes from him.  But that's Howard, that's the
way he hears the music. He closed with a piano blues over a spoken
reflection on legendary NOLA trumpeter Buddy Bolden, a guy who's brilliant
playing was never recorded.  It kind of reminded me of something Ken
Nordine ("Word Jazz") would do, only without Nordine's one of a kind
voice.  Howard also blew some nice one-handed harmonica over the blues
changes.  Very effective stuff.
   I don't know how many more years we're going to have Howard working in
peak form like this, but if you're a diatonic harp player you want to catch
him if he's nearby.  Make that pilgrimage.

Mick Zaklan