Guitar/Harmonica

Bonanza Athens News this week, thanks to Keith Moore's excellent write-up of 'Herbie Hancock's diversity' during which he introduces me to Swiss harmonica virtuoso, Gregoire Maret - also here - and Western African guitarist Lionel Loueke.

Coolness tip: say the first name à la française, Lee-oh-nell, and the family name along the lines of Loo-ekeh, emphasis on the 'e' of 'ekeh'. (There now, don't say I don't have your backs.)

Maret has a cool myspace page with all the right friends (including my confrère of the fretboard, Bill Frisell) but look at the top of the page where it lists the sponsor - none other than our truthin' scientologists.

Hmmm ... but since when did a little bit of looniness affect how good a musician racked that bone, right?

I love weird tunings and Loueke tunes *his* E B G D high A low D with the trick of shoving paper by the bridge - somthing taught me in Hong Kong by Pat Metheny when he visited the Jazz Club.

It sounds a lot like Pat's Last Train Home.

Incidentally, that Youtube clip settles an argument I'd had for years - whether that rapid-fire drumming could be sustained by a human.