Edmar Castañeda & Grégoire Maret
Edmar Castañeda harp, Grégoire Maret harmonica
Two remarkable instruments by two rising stars of contemporary jazz collide on the album Harp vs. Harp. Edmar Castañeda marvels jazz crowds all over the world with his South American harp, which he can transform into a bass, guitar, piano or percussion instrument. Grégoire Maret is classically trained on the harmonica, which is dubbed ‘harp’ in blues and jazz. The Swiss musician has collaborated with stars like Cassandra Wilson, Sting and Herbie Hancock.
The music of the Colombian harpist and the Swiss harmonica player spans different genres: Brazilian, blues and tango, for example. Some of the pieces offer fireworks, others are more quiet and spiritual and they’re all about beauty and clarity in sound. Alongside original compositions the musicians include pieces by Charlie Haden and Jacob do Bandolim.