I think that maybe all harp players are the same in that when we hear a harp our ears involuntarily perk up and most other sensory perception kind of shuts down. Does this happen to you? With me it doesn't matter if it's elevator music, TV commercials or just any background music that I happen to be in earshot of. The sound of the harp is distinctive and demands to be heard, especially if you're a victim of our particular addiction.
So I was recently at a party where the new CD "Bleeker Street" happened to be playing. If you don't know, it's a tribute 60's folk music and the Greenwich Village influence. A very decent CD especially if you like folk. I'm sort of absently digging it while shmoozing around at this party, and then it hits me right between the ears. Right from the inro, the song "Pack Up Your Sorrows" had such great harp playing that made me immediately lose track of all conversation and slip into Homer Simson donut mode (but substitute harp for donut). By the time the solo came around I was making a beeline for the CD cover in search of a name. Found it. Holy cow, it was William Gallison. I heard William play some amazing jazz chromatic at BHF, but this was completely different - funky electric country tinged diatonic, played with wit and virtuosity. Man, I had no idea that a chromatic guy could play diatonic like this ~:) Absolutely terrific playing - tone, phrasing, originality, all of that - worth the price of the CD just for this tune. The rest of the disk isn't bad at all and Mr. G. plays on one other track. Nice job William, wherever you are.
