It turned out to be an incredible night of music. James Conway, Joe Filisko AND special surprise guest Howard Levy made the Hideout Chicago “the center of the harmonica world” as one friend put it. For me, it was a chance to bring out several pieces I’d never played before an audience and to do it alongside three of my favorite players, all representing different styles of music and approaches to the instrument. Here’s “The Duo for Flute and Piano, First Mvt.” by Aaron Copland. I’m joined by Abigail Allison.
Bob Kessler is a harmonica colorist…
Using the well-loved sound of the pocket-sized instrument, he warps, reshapes, layers and loops live on stage to create something new yet familiar. His musical approach celebrates the harmonica's undeniable ability to connect with the hearts of an audience and extends the range of a solo performance to the orchestral. Rhythmic figures and drones from the at-times-otherworldly bass harmonica combine with its more common cousins, the diatonic harmonica (often called "blues harps") to create a live music experience informed by jazz, world music, modern classical and minimalism.
Bob Kessler Harmonica 