CHRIS BAUER: Now's The Time

Chris Bauer

Now's The Time

© 2002 Chris Bauer (634479508127)

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Jazz and pop standards artistically performed on chromatic harmonica with a smooth and melodic jazz improv.

tracks

1 Moondance
2 Misty
3 Now's The Time
4 Claire
5 Harlem Nocturne
6 Take Five
7 Watch What Happens
8 Tico Tico
9 Night Train
10 Paper Moon
11 Stardust
12 I've Got The World On A String

notes

With roots in jazz and pop standards, New York-based chromatic harmonica artist Chris Bauer has been performing for over thirty years. Inspired by the great harmonica players Toots Thielemans and Jerry Murad, his music is influenced by giants including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Chet Baker and vocalists like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.

Many have said that since Chris' improv never loses sight of the melody line, his music is easy to listen to. "A great song is known by its melody," he says, "so rather than re-invent the song, the improv should be an extension of the melodic line."


Chris began playing at the age of nine. By thirteen, he was playing with his father's harmonica trio called "The Harmonikings" appearing in many New York area venues. In 1987, Chris placed 4th in a field of 27 soloists at the International Harmonica Federation competition in England. His music has been used in production libraries and on ABC Television

reviews

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  • Very, very, very good
    author: Jack

    I love good harmonica music and I really enjoyed this one. Great selections that are masterfully done. My least favorite was the title song "Now's The Time". Yet the more I listen the more I like it.

  • author: Richard Martin, publisher, The Harmonica Educator

    Excellent recording quality. The playing is very easy to listen to. I can hear the influence of Jerry Murad and Pete Pedersen...I could hear a little Toots influence. Excellent musical accompaniment.

  • Chris illustrates what a good player can do with this instrument.
    author: Robert Berta, The Free Reed Review

    Chris Bauer put together a very nice recording here. The recording has a very nice quality recorded sound and fine harmonica playing. Chris has harmonica playing in his blood...his father was a chord player with the Harmonicats. This recording shows what you can do with a simple setup. Chris used MIDI arrangements of various jazz tunes played through his Alesis Nanosynth midi module and simply turned off the solo part so he could play the missing part on his harmonica along with the "back up band" in a sort of a harmonica karaoke. You might think that this could be hokey...or not very musical...but Chris is a pretty competent jazz harmonica player so this comes off very well. In the hands of a good musician, like the late Larry Adler, a harmonica can be a formidable instrument that belies its simplicity. When Chris plays his Meisterklasse and Hohner 64x harmonicas he illustrates what a good player can do with this instrument. The selections are well known to just about anybody so you won't find any tunes that are unusual or ask you to adjust to a "new" way of listening to music. Nor will you find the same riffs repeated over and over in loud obnoxious playing without any dynamics or phrasing...here I go letting my prejudice against BAD harmonica players show through;-). Instead these are fine performances of well known easy listening jazz tunes that have passed the test of time that you wouldn't mind listening to over and over again. About the only complaint I have is that the CD is on the short side...about 38 minutes long. Hey Chris...there is a lot more room on a CD and I would love to hear a few more tracks. In my customary style I have exposed this CD to the extended play test...play it several times over several days to see if it grows on me...or quickly gets tiring. It passed that test. I also occasionally put a CD to the even tougher "Berta Family Test". I put it on my stereo and let my family hear it without comment from myself about what they are listening too. My 70 something year old mother-in-law enjoyed it...and I did too until she started singing along with it. My classicaly trained pianist and opera singing wife thought it was nifty...and my 7 and 9 year old didn't ask to have it turned off so they could watch cartoons on TV. It passed the Berta family household test with flying colors so I can recommend this CD as an easy listen that everyone in your house should enjoy (at least until your mother-in-law starts singing.)

  • Excelent
    author: Jim Lewis

    It was really great for a beginner.

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