Carlos del Junco

Steady Movin'

BY David BarnardPublished Nov 22, 2008

Carlos del Junco is one of the world’s leading harmonica players. Since 1993, he’s been quietly issuing a steady moving stream of fantastically diverse recordings, most recently for Canada’s unconventional blues label, Northern Blues. With Steady Movin’, del Junco has produced his most focussed and ultimately satisfying album yet. The variety of approaches are still there, a grand mash-up of traditional meets contemporary blues, jazz, gospel, folk and ska genres, set to ballads, ’60s gangster flick soundtracks, shuffles, swinging R&B, soul vamps, in band and solo settings, with vocals and without. Del Junco has a lyrical approach to playing harp that utilizes an over-blow technique used by few others with such success. For proof, check his solo rendition of "Amazing Grace,” in which he conjures the sounds of bagpipes on a ten-hole diatonic harmonica. Joining del Junco is regular cohort Kevin Breit on guitar and vocalist John Dickie pays a Canadian tribute to the late Godfather of Soul.
(Northern Blues)

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