Jazz harp

As a clarinettist I have the potential to explore and perform music from a huge aray of genres. Add the saxophone and almost all modern and popular styles are included. The only exception is Rennaissance as the clarinet wasn't invented until around 1750. Even the Baroque era is not entirely without a single reed as Vivaldi and others wrote for the chalumeau, the forerunner to the clarinet. At school I only played the clarinet and mostly focussed on classical styles, playing in orchestras and chamber ensembles as well as working on solo pieces. I had always enjoyed jazz but never made an effort to get into any groups. As I started playing in show bands and had pupils wanting to learn jazz I realised I would have to get a bit of help to develop my limited skills. There are many publications including sheet music, tutorial books and recordings available for clarinet and saxophone as well as other standard instruments of jazz. There are also courses run by top pros to help with improvisation. I went on one last year which was excellent and concentrated on jazz harmony and techniques but I was able to transfer a lot of what I picked up to any sort of style. These courses always feature rhythm sections (piano, bass, drums, guitar), winds (saxes, clarinets, occasionally flutes), brass (trumpet, trombone) and the odd violinist. I once heard of a brilliant jazz oboeist. Never have I seen a jazz harpist.

Last Sunday friend (and groupie!) Margaret borrowed one of my keyboards for an improvisation workshop and she invited me to the end of course performance. Between the rhythm section and the brass and saxes was a harp! Rather than a performance the course, led by saxophonist Rob Hall, was concluded with an open rehearsal and the group worked through a few pieces they'd covered over the weekend, learning the structures and working on communication. Naturally the saxes and keyboards were not shy in coming forward to play a solo but from time to time the harpist, Hibah did play out, usually just a single line in the right hand but occasionally adding a few notes lower down in the left. It was a fascinating sound although Rob had to remind the rhythm section to keep down when the harp was playing and for players to be aware that if she did choose to start a solo it wouldn't be that clear that she'd started. She then did a huge glissando downwards which would have been a perfectly clear sign of her desire to take the spotlight! Here improvised solos swung quite nicely and included some blues notes which would have needed some thoughtful preparation of pedals. Rob mentioned that harpists should not try to sound like a saxophone or a trombone, nor aim to match that style of playing but to find a jazzy style that suits the harp and matches the nature of the instrument.

Margaret had already warned Hibah that I was coming so I feared she might make a quick exit but she was lovely and asked me if I'd like a go. I couldn't believe my luck! I asked if she could put it in F major and I played While Bagpipes Play. It felt very easy to play, just slightly heavier on the knees as it was a full size instrument. Hibah had been playing for ten years, starting as an adult. Her teacher was none other than Rohan! I suppose we should have been more suprised if we'd had different teachers. She'd chosen to go on the course as it had looked really interesting and broadened her horizons a little more. We didn't have long to talk as everyone was packing away which was a shame as I later learnt she had just finished a PhD at Cambridge and was going back to Israel the following week. As I left I saw her pushing the harp up Hills Road back into town. Who says you need a big car for your pedal harp?!