Christian Marsh, an Australian harmonica player, discusses his journey into playing the diatonic and chromatic harmonica, his musical influences, and his impressive achievements, including performing at the Sydney Opera House. He also shares his experience playing with Howard Levy and participating in harmonica competitions. Additionally, the chapter explores his collaboration on albums and his future plans in recording and playing shows with jazz musicians.
Christian Marsh is a versatile harmonica player with a wide range of influences, allowing him to play various genres like jazz, blues, country, and classical.
Marsh emphasizes the importance of being versatile and playing different genres, as it provides more opportunities for musicians and helps them become well-rounded players.
Deep dives
Christian Marsh's Musical Journey: From Diatonic to Chromatic
Christian Marsh, an Australian harmonica player, began his musical journey with the diatonic harmonica. Inspired by players like Norton Buffalo and Charlie McCoy, he absorbed as much harmonica as possible. Later, he picked up the chromatic harmonica after hearing Toots Thielemans. Marsh has made a significant impact on the Australian music scene, with numerous album credits and performances at notable venues like the Sydney Opera House. He is known for his versatility in playing various genres, including jazz, blues, country, and classical. Marsh shares his experiences with session work, TV appearances, and harmonic awards.
Marsh's Self-Taught Journey and Influences
Marsh was primarily self-taught on the harmonica. He learned by listening to different players, attempting to replicate their techniques. His influences ranged from jazz legends like Charlie Parker to blues-rock artists like Jimi Hendrix. Marsh's early experiences playing in bands and having to develop material on the spot shaped his improvisational skills. He became a perfectionist, constantly practicing to improve his sound and tone. Marsh's wide range of influences and dedication to his craft allowed him to develop a unique playing style.
The Significance of Playing Multiple Genres
Marsh emphasizes the importance of being versatile and playing different genres. While he does not identify himself as a jazz or blues player exclusively, he appreciates being able to adapt to different musical environments. Marsh has gained session work in various genres, including country music, rock, and jazz. He believes that versatility provides more opportunities for musicians and helps them become well-rounded players. By incorporating different genres into his harmonica playing, Marsh has created a distinct and diverse musical identity.
Marsh's Harmonica Setup and Technique
Marsh favors the Hohner Rocket diatonic harmonica and the Hohner Super 64 chromatic harmonica. He sets up his harmonicas for his specific playing style, focusing on clean overblows and an emphasis on tonality. Marsh uses a combination of effects pedals, including a multi-effects unit and a pre-amp, to achieve his desired sound. His amplification setup involves using an ARAM amp and a preferred microphone, the Bayon Radiate. Marsh's harmonica choices and setup reflect his pursuit of tonal richness and the ability to express his musical ideas.
Christian is an Australian who plays both the diatonic and chromatic harmonica. Starting out playing diatonic, Christian drew inspiration from players such as Norton Buffalo and Charlie McCoy, absorbing as much harmonica as he could lay his hands on . He picked the chromatic up a few years later after hearing Toots Thielemans play, and even went on to maintain Larry Adler’s harmonicas while he was touring Australia.
Christian is a mainstay on the Australian music scene, having 60 album credits sessions to his name, as well as a number of albums with Dr Goodvibe, and several under his own name, with a new release coming out in January 2024. Christian has also performed a concerto written for harmonica, as well as performing at the Sydney Opera House.
Donations: If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above): https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB
Podcast sponsors: This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram