In the 1990s I recorded two groundbreaking CDs of compositions for solo harmonica. This is my first record to apply the virtuosic techniques I developed then to modern rock and roll. Backed by some the best rockers in Philadephia, I'm going to create a dense, new rock sound with echoes of Morphine, the White Stripes, and Little Walter--a deep, powerful sound that literally rises, falls, and pulses with human breath.
In the late 1990s I recorded two CDs of solo compositions for acoustic harmonica, "The Act of Being Free in One Act" and "The Second Act of Free Being," that are unlike anything recorded before or since. The critically celebrated compositions on those records have been featured in films, TV, stage productions, independent radio, and original choreography. In the early 2000s I began working with the multiFX devices produced by Digitech and others, and this recording represents my first full-length record of songs that use my electronic sounds and advanced harmonica techniques to drive a rock band.
I've had a lot of time to work on it. My performing career was cut short in 2002 when my wife was nearly killed by a physician's error. In between session gigs, I've focused on developing my electronic sounds and incorporating my advanced harmonica techniques into the language of rock. I'm ready to lay it all down.
I've signed on Ed Abbiati, leader of the Lowlands band, whose records I've played on since 2008, to produce the record, and I've got Mike "SloMo" Brenner, with whom I've played on several of Ed's records, to play lap steel guitar.
Together, we're going to make a record that's dark and driving, something that lives in the intersection of Morphine, Little Walter, and the White Stripes. The goal is to define the role of harmonica in amplified music for the 21st century.
Ambitious? Just wait. And while you're waiting, check out the clips in the Updates section of this campaign so you get a taste of what 21st century harmonica sounds like.