1. Out of Nowhere
2. Meditation
3. Autumn Leaves
4. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
5. Only Trust Your Heart
6. Bag's Groove
7. The Shadow of Your Smile
8. Wave
9. Favors
10. Calabrossa
Enrico Granafei - Hands-free
chromatic harmonica, acoustic guitar, vocals
Enrico Granafei gives a fresh
meaning to the concept of the "one-man band".
Many people have played the harmonica and
guitar at the same time (Bob Dylan is a famous
- or notorious? - example). But Granafei adds
a new dimension, thanks to his discovery of
an inventor (Vern Smith) who devised a chromatic
harmonica which left Enrico's hands free.
Other chromatic harmonicas require the player
to change the notes by pushing a button with
the fingers but this new invention allows
Enrico to alter notes with his lips. This
means that he can play very complicated guitar
lines at the same time as all the notes he
desires on the mouth-organ.
Bossa novas seem the most
congenial material for him to play, so tunes
like Meditation and Wave suit
him well. His sound on the harmonica is like
that produced by "Toots" Thielemans, which
is not surprising, because it was hearing
Thielemans that inspired Granafei to learn
the harmonica - and he later studied with
Toots in Manhattan. Enrico graduated from
the Conservatory of L'Aquila in Italy and
is now the proprietor of a jazz club called
Trumpets in Montclair, New Jersey.
Enrico also sings, although
his vocals are not particularly laudable.
But this doesn't seem to matter, given the
virtuosity of his musicianship. In any case,
his singing is only heard on You'd Be So
Nice To Come Home To and Calabrossa
- the latter (I think) in Portuguese.
His extended scatting on the former is preferable
to his singing.
Out of Nowhere sets
the general pattern for the album, with the
harmonica stating the melody and soloing against
a gentle guitar background. However, on some
other tracks Granafei solos on guitar as well
as harmonica, in a style which reflects his
classical guitar training. Only Trust Your
Heart is outstanding, perhaps because
it is a lovely song but also because of Enrico's
lyrical brilliance on both instruments. Bag's
Groove shows that he can also swing in
bebop style.
In the sleeve-note, Enrico
explains the album title as a reference to
the multiple tasks he has to perform, which
demand intricate co-ordination and create
the effect of a trio. There are few enough
jazz harmonica players in the world, so Enrico
is a rarity. Not only that - he is also a
versatile, highly talented musician.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Miles High MHR 8603
