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Carlos del Junco - Saturday, March 7, 2009
Born in Havana, Cuba, del Junco (loosely translated "of the reeds")
immigrated with his family at the age of one. He bent his first note on a
harmonica when he was fourteen, making his debut with his high school math
teacher at a student talent night. In his early 20's del Junco was immersed in a
visual arts career; he graduated with honours from a four year programme,
majoring in sculpture at the Ontario College of Art. Sculpture has definitely
had an influence on his outlook on music: "Music is just a different way of
creating textures and shapes."
Playing a ten hole diatonic harmonica, Carlos has developed the unique ability to play chromatically by using a recently developed "overblow" technique taught to him by jazz virtuoso Howard Levy. Overall, this approach to the diatonic harmonica, although much more difficult to achieve, is in many ways more expressive and communicative than the mechanised tone produced by the chromatic harmonica . Carlos is one of the few pioneers of this overblow method, bringing musical credibility to what has still been considered by many in the music industry - a fringe folk instrument. The sophisticated sound produced by del Junco is at once sensitive, soulful, and sexy while never forgetting the rawness inherent in blues music.
During the 80's del Junco performed with many bands including
Latin/reggae/r&b band "Eyelevel", "Ontario College of Art Swing Band" with Bill
Grove and he had a 6 year stint with rhythm and blues group "The Buzz Upshaw
Band". With Kevin Cooke in 1990 he formed a blues/jazz/fusion band, "The
Delcomos". He has recorded with Marcel Aymar (Cano), Cassandra Vassick, Oliver
Schroer, Zappacosta, and has also worked with Dutch Mason, Domenic Troiano, Hoc
Walsh (Downchild Blues Band) and Holly Cole.
In 1991 del Junco performed and composed the music for Tomson Highway's Dora award winning play Dry Lips Oughta Move To Kapuskasing. The production toured Canada and was held over for seven weeks at Toronto's Royal Alex Theatre.
In 1993 Carlos del Junco won two gold medals at the Hohner World Harmonica Championship held in Trossingen, Germany. He was judged world's best in both the diatonic blues category and the diatonic jazz category.
With the late Bill Kinnear, Carlos del Junco released his first CD, Blues on independent label, Big Reed Records in November 1993. The rich collection of blues classics was a collaborative effort with Kinnear playing acoustic and dobro guitars and handling lead vocals. Five out of six reviewers in the Toronto Blues Society, selected Blues for their top ten releases of 1993.
In March/April 1995 del Junco travelled to Chicago with a Canada Council grant to study with Howard Levy. This year saw the release of of the critically acclaimed Just Your Fool a sizzling live session with Kevin Breit on guitar, Al Duffy on bass, and Geoff Arsenault on drums. It was this CD and the collaborative effort with Thom "Champagne Charlie" Roberts Big Road Blues,that won Carlos the 1996 Blues Musician Of The Year Award...
...del Junco continues to produce an eclectic palette of music on Blues
Mongrel, his (2005) 6th recording and his debut for NorthernBlues. The set
features his daring harmonica style, which flirts with Latin rhythms (“Let’s
Mambo”), rockabilly (“Run Me Down”) and even a quirky jazz-ska hybrid (“Skatoon”).
And, as a singer, Carlos’ voice is almost as unique as his harp playing.
Remarkable guitar work by Kevin Breit, one of the most sought-after session
players in Canada and now in the U.S. thanks in large part to his work with
Norah Jones and Cassandra Wilson, adds texture to the 13-track collection.
Carlos has toured Canada regularly since 1996 and tours often in Germany and the United States. He has played all the major jazz, blues, and folk festivals across Canada.
Tracks
Sample tracks from Carlos del Junco are available at Carlos' Web Site
Reviews
Blues Mongrel pulls off the difficult trick of proving that music can be
simultaneously sophisticated and raw, technically adept and highly emotional,
serious as a heart attack and as much fun as a circus clown. Thanks to artists
like Carlos del Junco and Kevin Breit, the blues will continue to live and
breathe for the foreseeable future. •
Michael Ross - http://www.puremusic.com/carlos.html
Havana-born, Ontario raised del Junco has over the course of his six-CD, 15 year
career elevated the status of the humble 10-hole diatonic mouth harp to the
equivalent of a Stradivarius violin. Del Junco, a world champion harp player and
winner of several national and international awards, has perfected Levy's
difficult "overblow" technique, which gives the simple folk instrument full
chromatic range and allows the musician to bend notes right out of shape, to
find the dissonant tones and textures required in progressive blues and jazz,
and to harmonize expressively with infinitely more sophisticated instruments.
He's a marvel to listen to, a freak of nature who does to the harp what Bela
Fleck does to the banjo, and, assisted by a crack band (including guitarist
Kevin Breit, who composed many of the pieces, Denis Keldie on organ, bassist
Henry Heillig, drummer Jorn Andersen, and percussionist Arturo Avalos), del
Junco achieves an astonishingly complex yet seamless fusion of blues, country,
funk, jazz, and swampy roots rock. This one's a classic, a ground breaker of a
record that serious harp players will be studying for years to come.
The Toronto Star,
February 10, 2005,
By Greg Quill
Web Site
Carlos del Junco's Web Site
Online Tickets
Carlos del Junco - Main Series - Saturday March 7, 2009
2008 - 2009 Performers
2008 - 2009
Season
Shooglenifty
Nov. 22, 2008
Local Showcase
Jan. 17, 2009
Bottom Line Duo
Feb. 7, 2009
Carlos del Junco
March 7, 2009
Keri Lynn Zwicker
April 4, 2009
Jane Bunnett
Embracing Voices
April 18, 2009
Harry Manx
May 2, 2009
Bragg Creek
Festival
May 29 & 30, 2009
Appeared Previously
John Wort Hannam
Sept. 27, 2008
Matt Andersen
Nov. 1, 2008
Bragg Creek Performing Arts 2003 - 2008. All performances at Bragg Creek Centre.
Tickets online, at Bragg Creek Centre, Spirits West or call 403-949-4114 or 403-949-4277