Tracks

Performer Notes

Harmonious Wail: Maggie Delaney-Potthoff (vocals, cardboard box); Sims Delaney-Potthoff (tenor guitar, mandolin); Tom Waselchuk (guitar); Randy Hoecherl (violin); Brian Ericson (accordion); Henry Boehm (acoustic bass); Todd Steward (drums, conga).
Recorded at Shady Bend Studios, Verona, Wisconsin on February 26-28, 2003.
While there are a number of artists on the jazz scene that have an affinity for the signature sounds of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli, there are few bands left that work solely within the gypsy swing framework. Harmonious Wail is one of those outfits that still uphold the older traditions, and do so admirably well. Here, they take into account all aspects of gypsy swing: the string jazz from the Quintette du Hot Club du France, the Eastern European additions to the form, and the innovations brought about by the samba and bossa nova's introduction to the paradigm. The string playing of the band members is certainly something worth hearing (they arguably rival that of Seattle's Pearl Django in authenticity and ability). The guitar and bass play off one another perfectly, powering the pieces forward (especially where influences of Brazilian rhythm make themselves known). The opposite side of the coin is the vocals of the group. While well-intentioned, the singing rarely fits the beauty of the strings. Maggie Delaney Potthoff does a nice job of singing, but usually in more of a blues format that seems a little brash for the texture of the jazz at hand. Highlights include "Bossa Dorado," a nice, thumping piece inspired by the bossa nova, and "Minor Swing," the only Reinhardt composition on the album, but a classic by all respects, and worked well by the crew here. For gypsy swing, the first place to go is always to the originators of the form (the Hot Club), but Harmonious Wail isn't a bad choice for a later addition, complete with some of the newer influences to the genre. ~ Adam Greenberg

Fishpond works with suppliers all over the world to bring you a huge selection of products, really great prices, and delivery included on over 25 million products that we sell. We do our best every day to make Fishpond an awesome place for customers to shop and get what they want — all at the best prices online.

About Fishpond

You can earn a 8% commission by selling Harmonious Wail on your website. It's easy to get started - we will give you example code. After you're set-up, your website can earn you money while you work, play or even sleep! You should start right now!

Are you the Author or Publisher of a book? Or the manufacturer of one of the millions of products that we sell. You can improve sales and grow your revenue by submitting additional information on this title. The better the information we have about a product, the more we will sell!

Submit Information