Harmonica virtuoso, Classical Guitarist, Vocalist, Songwriter, Arranger and Composer Enrico Granafei has recently released his fourth CD "It's Hard To Say Goodbye". The CD is a collection of Latin-infused Jazz tunes featuring Granafei playing beautiful Chromatic Harmonica, Guitar and doing some Vocals. It's not everyday you come across world class Harmonica players and Granafei's new CD is a reminder of how beautiful Harmonica sounds can be. I first met and heard Enrico Granafei play while visiting his New Jersey Jazz Club, Trumpets. Granafei supported live Jazz at his club for over 20 years. The club was a labor of love with Granafei helping to do everything from greeting customers, booking great Jazz talent and running the kitchen. Running a Jazz club in NJ is not a way to get rich but it was a way for Granafei to support the legions of Jazz musicians looking for a venue to perform. In addition, Granafei was able to sit in frequently with his many musician friends who performed at his club.
Granafei studied Classical Guitar in Italy at the Conservatory of I'Aquila. It was there that he discovered Toots Thielemans' album "Infinity". A short time after hearing this album, Granafei started teaching himself Jazz Harmonica and soon became good enough to perform in top Jazz clubs throughout Italy. He landed a year-long gig playing in the orchestra of a very popular Italian television show. He says, "No one else in Italy played Jazz Harmonica back then, and every week I had 45 seconds of glory on National television as I got to play a short solo on every show. Granafei moved to New York City in the early 1990's and began performing at The Blue Note, Birdland, and The Bottom Line where he got to play with many American Jazz giants. He wanted to further his studies of Jazz Harmonica, however, when he applied to the Manhattan School of Music; he soon found out that there were no teachers of Jazz Harmonica at the school. Because Granafei knew and had performed with several members of the admittance panel, he was accepted to the program. Still in need of a teacher, Granafei called Toots Thielemans who was living in New York at the time. Thielemans was reluctant to take on a student because of his busy touring schedule but Granafei persuaded him and then worked around Thielemans' schedule and received a master's degree in Jazz performance in 1992. Granafei has surrounded himself with high level of musicians to support him on this CD. They add great value to the overall enjoyment of this CD.
Enrico Granafei's passion and dedication to music and performance has been part of his heart and soul for his whole life and should be an inspiration to all young musicians who ever doubted themselves. Nothing less than total dedication to your art is the key to unlocking success in the music world or any other world for that matter.
I have attached two cuts from "It's Hard To Say Goodbye". The first tune is "Medo De Amar" with Granafei singing in Portuguese and playing wistful and romantic Harmonica. The second tune is a nod to the spirit of Granafei's master teacher Toots Thielemans. He performed the Thielemans classic hit, "Bluesette".
"Medo De Amar""Bluesette"
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