Album Notes

APRIL 1996: FOR GENERAL RELEASE
Contact: Turtle Hill Productions, 203-459-9939

INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN HARMONICA VIRTUOSO RELEASES FIRST FULL LENGTH SOLO RECORDING

Turtle Hill Productions announces the release of Richard Hunter's solo harmonica
CD, The Act of Being Free in One Act. Recorded in 1994, The Act of Being Free in One Act is a virtuosic performance that Kim Field, author of the standard reference work Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers, calls "one of the most unique collections of harmonica recordings unveiled in recent years."

Field goes on to say, "Richard Hunter has once again placed the 'people's instrument' in its original role as a portable, self-contained orchestra, but he has managed to put his own compelling ??? and modern ??? twist on the concept. Hunter's lyrical, precise playing; his innovative use of alternate tunings; and his taste for unusual chords make The Act of Being Free in One Act one of the most unique collections of harmonica recordings unveiled in recent years."

"Thanks to talented mavericks like Richard Hunter," Field says, "the mouth organ is still inventing itself."

Recorded and mastered entirely in the digital domain without overdubs, The Act of Being Free in One Act includes 14 pieces written and arranged by Hunter for
unaccompanied harmonica. From the driving country fiddle-like attack of the opening "Peppermint Life," to the haunting, Debussy-influenced seascape of "Winter Sun At Nobska," the uncanny big-band sound of "Big 17," and the astonishing two-part counterpoint of "Hymn For Crow," Hunter breaks new ground in every one of these moving performances.

"Great work's being done on the harmonica now in lots of different styles," Hunter says. "Harmonica is coming into its own, and I wanted to do a recording that shows how deep the instrument can be. Every piece on this record is played on a single harmonica, with no overdubs. People are amazed when they realize they're listening to a single instrument."

Hunter is the author of Jazz Harp (Oak Publications, NYC, 1980), a method for jazz and rock harmonica players which is widely regarded as the best book ever written for intermediate to advanced level players. Norm Dobson, past president of the National Harmonica League, calls Jazz Harp "an absolutely outstanding book." The book, now in its sixth printing, has sold over 20,000 copies worldwide, and has been translated into several foreign languages, including Japanese. Hunter's credits as a studio musician include
harmonica for the soundtrack of John Sayles's film City of Hope, as well as hundreds of recording sessions for television, major and small label releases, and commercial jingles.

The Act of Being Free in One Act was produced by Hunter and Mark Greenberg of
Upstreet Productions, whose previous productions include the Grammy-nominated Doc Watson Sings Songs for Little Pickers and releases by Cajun fiddler Michael "Beausoleil" Doucet and folk legend Dave van Ronk. The Act of Being Free in One Act is available from Turtle Hill
Productions, PO Box 651, Monroe, CT 06468-0651, (203)459-9939 (turtlehill@earthlink.net).