Rarely does one word describe a recording and in this case that word would be "Unique".

Most people think of the harmonica as only capable of two emotions: happy or sad. Mr. Ashley breathes life into his instrument the way Renaissance artists imaged God breathing life into Adam. Every texture and nuance of human emotion comes forth in a techno color like radiance from his lips through a chromatic mouth organ and hangs notes like the stars of the Milky Way in a dark blue midnight sky.

His debut release, "CONCERTO AND RHAPSODY" is a "mash up" in the best sense of the word. 14 Classical and 5 Jazz compositions. Whether it's Tcherepnin or Gershwin or Prokfieff the harmonica man meticulously performs with such precision and passion that the metal reeds of his humble Hohner are like acupuncture needles stuck deep into your soul.

A portion of what is so amazing is that Ashley not only honors his craft but he casts a dazzling new light on a little known work from Alexander Tcherepnin, the composer. After writing the concerto in 1953 Tcherepnin remarked, "I have taken the harmonica quite seriously with no attitude of writing down to it and while composing the Concerto I had all the time in my mind the unusual sound and technique of the instrument". A quality Joseph Ashely generously shares with us on "CONCERTO AND RHAPSODY" .