Chris Bauer
Morrisville, Pennsylvania, United States
Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
“Chris Bauer is one of the
most enjoyable Jazz
harmonica players I have
heard.” - Jazz Now Interactive
“Chris Bauer has both the
chops and the pedigree of a
bona fide jazzman. His
lineage speaks for itself and
confirms the old saying about
apples and trees. But beyond
the DNA, his playing swings
mightily and his solos are
inventive and satisfying.
Anyone not responding to the
music of Chris Bauer should
be checked for a pulse - Producer, Art Blakey, Cal Tjader
..."fluent and articulate, while his improvisations do not stray far from the melody line. If you think the alto sax and trumpet should only be fronting the melody line of the early bebop Groovin' High, think again. Bauer's harmonica chops are just as glossy as Charlie
Parker's alto sax and Dizzy
Gillespie's trumpet ever was
when they first recorded the tune in 1945. Duke Ellington is well-represented with exotic and swinging versions of Caravan and Take The "A" Train, while Jimmy Van Huesen's Polka Dots And Moonbeams, is done as a lush ballad, with Bauer's full sound complimented with
some nice organ fills by
Pugliese."
- Jazz Connection Magazine
“…these are fine
performances of well known
easy listening jazz tunes that
have passed the test of time
that you wouldn't mind
listening to over and over
again.”
“…he illustrates what a good
player can do with this
instrument.”
- Free Reed Review
Discography
Released CDs
"Now's The Time" 2002
"Selections from the Sinatra Songbook" - 2003
"How High The Moon" - 2004
"Straight Ahead" - 2009 currently featured on a number of Live 365 stations including Sinvox and Curts Cafe Noir
Photos
Bio
Simply put, Chris Bauer performs popular jazz standards on the chromatic harmonica with a repertoire from upbeat bop tunes to cool Latin numbers to soulful ballads. Playing harmonica for 40 years, his performance and recording experiences are diverse including jazz gigs, harmonica trios, church worship bands, production library tracks, even recording “Mack the Knife” with a reggae band! He performs and gives harmonica technique seminars at many festivals around the country. His CD “Chris Bauer and Friends – How High the Moon” has been featured on numerous jazz radio stations and was heralded as “an outstanding project by an outstanding group of musicians” by Jazz Connection Magazine.
Born and raised on New York’s Long Island, Chris was surrounded by the harmonica since his father had a harmonica trio of his own. He started playing at age nine and began appearing with his father’s trio by thirteen. At sixteen, Chris placed third in a worldwide harmonica competition; and in 1987, placed fourth in a field of 27 at the International Harmonica Federation competition, both times finishing as the highest placed American harmonica player. Since then, Chris has performed at many venues including B.B. Kings (guest artist for Dickey Betts) and Kenny’s Castaways in New York.
Chris is a regular contributing write to The Harmonica Educator magazine on jazz topics and continues to work on recording projects that exemplify jazz harmonica. He also performs both in jazz trio or quartet settings, and as a soloist utilizing custom backgrounds that provide the sound of a jazz ensemble.
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