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The latest Howard Levy DVD (instructional?)
Gnarly He Man:
I am interested in discussing this latest disc from Howard--I have been listening to it a lot and just find him to be so musical. He plays 12 original compositions in a big variety of styles, from Klezmer to blues to swing to modern jazz, tango, rhumba--even an East Indian flavored thing.
It's all done on a C diatonic and he pitches each tune in a different key based on the 12 notes of the chromatic scale--although to be fair, it's not 12 key signatures--for example, one tune is a funk number in Abm, and then another is an angular, fourths based piece in B major--but since he is playing every note of the chromatic scale whenever he wants, for me it's more about the tonality and being able to play the main notes of the tune without sounding ridiculous. Like the flamenco piece in Ebm--the main notes of the melody are the arpeggio of the Ebm chord which are the three OBs on holes 4, 5, and 6.
Anyone else here checked this out?
G
Ziggy:
--- Quote from: Gnarly He Man on April 24, 2007, 11:23:13 PM ---Anyone else here checked this out?
G
--- End quote ---
I do not have the CD but I heard him live at The Green Mill in Chicago last February.
He did some amazing stuff.
I hope to see him with his band Trio Globo, this Saturday in Oak Park IL. if I can get a ticket. (Wife is going to the Ballet.)
Ziggy
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Update:
I have scored a ticket!
More to come
Z
Gnarly He Man:
You're a lucky guy--that's a great band!
G
Ziggy:
--- Quote from: Gnarly He Man on April 25, 2007, 10:01:39 PM ---You're a lucky guy--that's a great band!
G
--- End quote ---
Saw Trio Globo with Howard Levy last night at the Unity Temple in Oak Park, IL.
http://unitytemple.org/
First of.... I just don't get the appeal of Frank Loyd Wright.
Anyways, it was a very eclectic concert with a very heavymiddle eastern influence. Howard spent about 75% of the time on the piano, with bursts of harp injected throughout.
He only did one solo tune. But I'll bet the Unity Temple never heard "Amazing Grace" done like that. Kinda cajun, blues, jazz, gospel, rock mix. You know Howard. At times it sounded like he was playing 3 harmonicas.
A good concert, but I wish there was more harp.
I did learn that a coffee mug can be used to really alter the sound your harmonica makes. :)
Ziggy
Gnarly He Man:
Chuck--glad you went, And sorry he stayed away from harmonica (I woulda been bummed).
I have a video of the Flecktones on Austin City Limits where he uses the coffee mug (on Cosmic Hippo) then sets it on the piano, goes back to playing, and then the mug falls on the piano, sounding some notes at a random point--but it sounds good! (and so he smiles at that point)
Howard is one of those individuals who makes you forget what instrument he is playing--you just hear the music.
G
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