Bluegrass In The Backwoods

I once half-jokingly remarked that harmonica players are about as welcome at bluegrass festivals as the mosquitoes that come out to feast. Indeed, many bluegrass folks consider the harmonica a questionable instrument, although it is certainly better established in bluegrass than instruments such as the clarinet or saxophone. Harmonica players have recorded with top bluegrass musicians such as Jim and Jesse McReynolds, Flatt and Scruggs, Bryan Sutton, Aubrey Haynie, Ron Block, Stuart Duncan, Jerry Douglas, Ricky Skaggs, and the Del McCoury Band. What makes my approach different is that, unlike other bluegrass harmonica players who use diatonic harmonicas, I exclusively use the chromatic harmonica, an instrument typically chosen for playing jazz, classical, and some pop music. Diatonic harmonicas often produce a raw, bluesy sound because one must bend the reeds to obtain otherwise missing notes. The chromatic harmonica, however, has a slide that enables one to produce all the notes. When played properly, the chromatic harmonica can produce a sweet, fiddle-like sound and handle fast, intricate melodies. Since I use a C chromatic to play in all keys, I can deal with tricky chord changes and key transitions without fumbling through a case of harmonicas to quickly find one best suited to handle the change. I want to thank all the superb musicians who agreed to record with me. It was a real honor, and forced me to play my very best to keep up. Hope you enjoy listening to this CD as much as I did recording it. David Naiditch, July 2014.