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Audio Clips
There are some hard-to-find tracks that I've recorded
on in the 90's. Some are self-released by the artists,
some are on small labels with spotty distribution. Every
so often I'll feature a new clip from these tracks. I
wish you all a happy listening.
-Howard
Acoustic Express
Taking its shape from the famous acoustic swing
bands featuring Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli,
this quartet is Howard’s latest musical venture.
It features Howard on harmonica with two guitarists:
Chris Siebold and Pat Fleming, and Larry Kohut on
bass. It’s all acoustic- no amps, sometimes
no monitor speakers or PA. Because of the perfect
balance between the instruments, the band has performed
with no amplification at all in
smaller rooms.
clip
- 1
Dean Peer- Think...It’s
All Good
I recorded on this cd for
Turtle Records in Amsterdam in 1999, released in
2000. Dean is an electric bassist who makes extensive
use of harmonics. We recorded live to 2 track on
extremely high-end audiophile equipment in a beautiful
old church. Nothing was close-miked and we did not
use headphones, so ironically, I had to get an amp
so I could be heard and hear myself as well. They
got me a really nice one that sounded exactly like
I sound acoustically, just louder. It was a real
trick balancing such disparate instruments, but
eventually some sort of balance was achieved. I
don’t know if this cd is still available.
clip
-1
clip -
2
A
Family Thing
I recorded this soundtrack
in 1995 and/or 1996 at The Power Station in New
York. I worked closely with composer Charles Gross,
and director Richard
Pearce was also there at the sessions. We musicians
in the core band all had
our own video monitors, so we could match our playing
to the action and the
dialogue. I really enjoyed this experience.
clip
- 1
clip
- 2 |
| Luis Ewerling
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Luis Ewerling is a Brasilian drummer
who has lived in Chicago for 20 years. We used to
play together with Som Brasil in the 80's. Luis called
me to play on his self-produced and composed cd around
1995. By the time it came out this year, I had forgotten
what it sounded like or what I played on it. What
a great surprise! It's a fantastic cd. Not only is
Luis a great drummer (in many styles), but he is a
great composer and songwriter as well.
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RealAudio excerpts
Reenconto
Serene |
Harmonia Mundi
SUITE FOR HARMONICA AND CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
This piece seeks to utilize all the properties
of the harmonica - percussive, lyrical, virtuosic, bluesy,
- and integrate them into a piece for a classically- oriented
chamber group. The title is a somewhat ironic comment
on the complex harmony that can exist between cultures
and the political realities that throw so many people
into conflict with one another. Stylistically, the music
reflects my many musical interests. Harmonia Mundi features
the Rembrandt Chamber Players of Chicago, who commisioned
it and premiered it with me in May of 1995.
Jewish Services
I grew up in a Jewish household, going
to temple on the holidays, becoming a Bar Mitzvah, etc.
I have always wanted to find a Jewish congregation where
I could play the kind of music that I love as an integral
part of the worship service. I finally found one- Aitz
Hayim in the City . Actually, it found me. The leaders
of this group, Dr. Ruth Durchslag and Cantor David Landau,
were searching for someone to do the music for their services
about 2 years ago, and I was recommended. Together, we
have come up with a harmonious and heartfelt blend of
ritual and spontaneity that I am very happy to be a part
of. I have written music for some of the traditional prayers,
as well as collaborating on original songs with Ruth and
David.
My fellow musicians are Eric Hochberg on
bass and trumpet and my son Miles on percussion. We do
quite a bit of improvising in the service, and there is
a lot of dancing, singing, and emotion. Services take
place once a month at the Radisson Hotel in Chicago, with
dinner following. I strongly recommend it as a religious,
musical, and spiritual experience.
Concerto for Diatonic Harmonica
and Orchestra
In 2000, I was asked by The Illinois Philharmonic and
its music director, Carmon DeLeone, to perform a harmonica
concerto for the 2001 Season. I told them that all existing
concertos were composed for Chromatic Harmonica, and asked
if they would be interested in having me compose one for
my instrument, the diatonic. The result was my first orchestral
composition, which we premiered Feb. 4, 2001.
| mp3 samples |
| 1nd Movement |
mp3 |
| 2nd Movement |
mp3 |
| 3rd Movement |
mp3 |
Piazzola Tangos
In the summer of '98 at Ravinia, I performed Astor Piazzola's
5 Tango Sensations (originally written for bandoneon)
on harmonica with Musica Anima, and l performed it again
in '99 with Rembrandt at Northwestern University's Pick
-Staiger Concert Hall.
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