I am working on an article about the recording process. It will be focusing on the mixing and mastering side. While I am at it, I want to distract you all with this video by Tim Chaisson. He used to be the youngest member of the Celtic/contemporary band Kindle with his two brothers and three cousins as their bassist. Now his band is simply known as Tim Chaisson & Morning Fold. Thanks to my friend Jimmy for bringing him up during one of our conversations about musicians based in the east coast of Canada.
No two wire-strung harpists/players are the same. This is obvious in the kind of style that Jochen Vogel has been developing for years. Like guitars, violins and other instruments, the Clarsach is a very expressive instrument owing its grace not only to the player but the way it was constructed. The wood, the conditions that it has been exposed to becomes the result. Then you add the temperament of the player and the kind of musical background he or she comes from. What you get is a refreshing sound that is not like any of those that play the same instrument.
His music is jazzy and ‘modern’ that proves this ancient instrument can find a new place in mainstream audience as well as those that are passionate about the musical culture that it originated from. His rendition of Cancro Cru flows like waterfalls while Fields of Gold along with his cool singing (reminiscent of Chis deBurgh) will send generations of Starbucks crowd playing this as piped in music. Jochen Vogel has mapped his domain ahead of the others and created a kind of music that listeners will chill to for generations.
I have been writing about the harp community lately and I think this link will help everyone who is interested in the history as well as evolution of the Clarsach. Thanks to harpist Scott Hoye for bringing this to my attention.
Celtic Music Fan 