When it comes to the harmonica, French-born harmonicist Frédéric Yonnet knows how to turn skeptics into believers. Most people perceive the harmonica as a "side" instrument used in country and blues. However, Yonnet is one of a handful of musicians to successfully demonstrate the harmonica's versatility as a lead instrument in contemporary jazz, as well as other genres of music.
Just listen to his sound. It funks. It rocks. It hips and hops. It grooves. It sways. It testifies. It prays. It has a reverence for blues and jazz while appealing to a generation raised on pop, rock and hip-hop. The attention and praise he has garnered from such popular generational icons as Stevie Wonder and Dave Chappelle as well as performances with Erykah Badu, John Legend, India.Arie and Joe McIntyre has helped to expose him and his unique sound on the harmonica to a wide and diverse audience. Believing that "limitations are not in the instrument but in one's thinking," Yonnet is poised to change the way the music industry and enthusiasts regard the "pocket" instrument.
Born in Normandy, France, Yonnet picked up the harmonica after a short stint as a drummer. "I love playing rhythms but it's hard to be the frontman on drums. plus the drum kit was alot to move around." Eventually, he revisited an instrument that almost everyone has owned, but few have mastered: the harmonica.
In France, Yonnet devoted all of his time to performing in Parisian jazz and blues clubs. Yonnet was a frequent guest musician on "Nulle Part Ailleurs", a show on the French television network Canal +, and he eventually began touring Spain, Germany and Africa with jazz, rock and country bands. During a visit to the U.S., Yonnet jammed at a club and he was totally blown away by the reaction he received from the audience. "Their gracious response let me know that I needed to give them more." And that is exactly what he intends to do with his live performances and recordings.
Yonnet's latest CD project positions the artist where he and his music deservingly need to be -- Front and Center. The harmonica takes the lead when Yonnet brings it out front and demonstrates its versatility and range. In Front and Center, Yonnet and his band covers songs like Boogie On Reggae Woman, Days of Wine and Roses, For the Love of You and God Bless the Child. With Front and Center, Yonnet orients listeners to the musical capabilities of the harmonica by keeping much of the music familiar. He pays homage to one of his musical inspirations, Stevie Wonder, with a fast-paced version of Boogie On Reggae Woman. In Days of Wine and Roses, Yonnet shuffles up-tempo workouts with African, Latin and European rhythms to add some "Afropean spice" to the jazz standard. Yonnet goes all out with his bluesy, high-energy interpretation of God Bless the Child.
"Including a range of standards and popular cover songs in my repertoire allows people to focus less on the tune and more on my interpretation through the harmonica." And that's not hard to do. After listening to the harmonica virtuoso, one is left in awe of his technical mastery of all twelve keys of the harmonica.
While Yonnet's CDs are impressive, it is his live performances that get all the praise. His high energy and ability to play chromatic scales on the diatonic harmonica gives him an unlimited range of notes and sounds, of which he takes full advantage. He demonstrates his command of technique and skill by masterfully bridging the gap between the diatonic and chromatic harps -- impressing fans of both.
In Boston with Stevie Wonder and at the New Orleans Jazz Festival 2008
