[Harp-L] mini news from IAJE Convention in NYC- Enrico Granafei



In the lobby of the Hilton Hotel New York, I heard an interesting harmonica player by the name of Enrico Granafei, playing acoustic guitar and hands free chromatic harmonica invented by Vern Smith. 
 
Instead of a button, it is fitted with a plastic mouthpiece attached at both ends of the harmonica with a spring holding it over the upper holes. Played in a rack, by moving the lips to push down on the mouthpiece, the lower holes are played. So, instead of pushing a button in and out, the head moves up and down slightly to control the mechanism.
 
Enrico is a chromatic player who studied with Toots Thielemans, earning a masters' degree in Jazz Performance from the Manhattan School of Music in 1992.
 
I heard him play a few bossa nova pieces. The difficulty is in playing both instruments well, which he did, indeed.
 
Here is definitely another flying under the radar harmonica player worthy of wider exposure.
 
Enrico told me he had been in dialogue with Paul Davies regarding appearing at a SPAH. Hopefully he will be welcomed into the wider harmonica community through this organization.
 
He does have a website www.trumpetsjazz.com and an email address Enrimus@xxxxxxxx Trumpets Jazz Club is a jazz venue he owns in Montclair, NJ.
 
The Iceman




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