Jazz harmonica players have always been a true rarity.
Toots Thielemans has dominated the tiny field since his emergence in the mid-'50s, and other than
Hendrik Meurkens, there has been no real competition during the following half-century.
Finn Hauge, a Scandinavian, is quite impressive on
Harmonica and shows that he is nearly in
Toots' league. Joined by an excellent local rhythm section that includes pianist
Olga Konkova,
Hauge explores six jazz standards (two by
Bill Evans) that are sandwiched between his originals "Close to My Heart" and "Wishes." The music is straight-ahead yet not without its surprises, including a cooking medium-tempo version of "My Foolish Heart," which is usually taken as a ballad.
Hauge has a warm sound and is fluent on the material, including the boppish "Confirmation," making it all sound easy. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow