Harmonious Wail

"...In the United States the most avid and talented champions of this style have to be Madison, Wisconsin's HarmoniousWail..."

Gypsy Swing, that delicately bouncy Eastern European brand of string-based jazz has been played by a distinguished lineage of artists that includes such luminaries as Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli, and David Grisman. In the United States the most avid and talented champions of this style have to be Madison, Wisconsin's Harmonious Wail, whose latest CD appropriately titled Gypsy Swing, provides a soulful overview of the genre, heavy on standards like "Limehouse Blues", "Swing Gitan", and Reinhardt's "Minor Swing", but also including a couple of tasty originals by the band's mandolin player/leader, Sims Delaney-Potthoff. Maggie Delaney-Potthoff sings soulful renditions of material like I'm "Always Chasing Rainbows" and "After You've Gone". New guitarist Tom Waselchuk and bassist Henry Boehm round out the group's tight ensemble playing and additional color is added on some tunes by fiddler Randy Hoecherl and accordionist Brian Erickson and drummer Todd Steward. Other highlights include an adventurous up-tempo arrangement of "Dark Eyes" and a delightfully tongue-in-cheek swing arrangement of the baseball anthem "Ballgame".



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- DirtyLinen: Folk & World Music #111

Gypsy Swing, the latest release from Harmonious Wail, proves that certain artists’ work is like fine wine: it merely gets better with age. Harmonious Wail has been performing together for fifteen years at this point and it shows in every aspect of Gypsy Swing. Recorded in Verona, Wisconsin at Shady Bend Studios, the album delivers the goods on all fronts: performance, production, design and songwriting / arranging. While the majority of the tunes are traditional pieces and standards rather than wholly original works, they are beautifully interpreted in such a manner as to render them completely fresh and compelling.
Gypsy Swing is named after a unique flavor of European jazz music created and heavily influenced by the work of legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt and his longtime collaborator Stephane Grappelli. This expressive and decidedly European form of jazz features expressive and heavily melodic guitar and fiddle in a string band context: very seldom do traditional brass and woodwinds appear in this style. As the genre evolved, elements of traditional eastern European folk music began to play a heavier role in the style as well.
Highlights of the album include a beautiful arrangement of the traditional Russian folk number “Dark Eyes” and a wonderfully expressive version of “Minor Swing” by Django. Harmonious Wail’s rendition of “Czardas”, another traditional piece, features some absolutely stunning mandolin work by Sims Delaney-Potthoff. Guitarist Tom Waselchuk’s playing throughout the album is especially masterful. The album is a must-have for any fan of guitar and mandolin based music, jazz or not. When Stephane Grappelli. himself says “This is my music they are playing” and Bela Fleck states that “this is a goooood band,” you know that we’re talking about the real deal.
Now stop reading and go buy the album. You won’t be disappointed.













- Rick’s Café,February 13, 2004, Volume 2, No.2 www.rickscafe.org

Harmonious Wail
Bufflehead Recordings

If you are desperately in need of a daily dose of levity (plus
excellent musicianship) and don't quite know where to turn,
Harmonious Wail's debut release will, in all probability, provide
you with exactly what you need.


This highly eclectic (and extremely sophisticated) group sites the
following influences in the liners: Lester young, Thelonious Monk,
Stuff Smith, Django Reinhardt, Benny Goodman, Fats Waller, Mel
Torme, Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes and Jethro Burns (of Homer
and Jethro fame), but it would be safe to add the following: Western
Swing (as epitomized in Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys), greats of
the blues and bluegrass, Hawaiian style and slack-key guitar, Count
Basie's 30s and 40s bands, Stephane Grappelli, a lot of bop and post
bop players and so on, ad infinitum. But if you think that this band
produces a sad and indeterminate stylistic mish-mosh - well it ain't
so at all. A tzimmes, yes, no denying it - but it's quite an aural
feast that Harmonious Wail has prepared for you, so be prepared to enjoy.

For those of you who normally shy away from string-jazz ensembles:
this is one of the best albums I've heard all year. Also displayed
are some incredible pickin' talent -guitarist Doug Brown and
leader/mandolinist Sims Delany-Potthoff could hold their own in just
about any company, and some of their flights of fancy (Brown's
Airborne, for example), are enough to put the entire disk on the
Recommended List without any second-guesses. A super plus is the
wry, ironic (but never cynical) sense of humor that infuses
everything this ensemble presents on Airborne. The instrumental
invention on cuts like Melodie de Crouton and the title title cut
are bound to have you laughing from sheer delight - the rollicking
atmosphere created by the spontaneous combustion of urbanity and
silliness is found on each and every track.

Gutsy vocalist Maggie Delany-Potthoff is really good. She's equally
at home doing stratospheric scatting on some tough-to-sing
compositions and working Why Don't You Do Right for all it's worth.
(One senses that the man who done her wrong is really missing out
on something). Clarinetist Gibbs plays sparingly - and thus, all the
more effectively; and violinist Vriesacker does indeed sound like
Stuff Smith reincarnated (Heady stuff...no pun intended!). And
finally honors should be given to the three part close harmony
vocals at which Brown and the Delaney-Potthoffs excel. This is an
unqualified rave. I'll stop right here and leave it to you to
discover the joys of Airborne for yourselves.

- Ellen Collison











- Cadence

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Dirty Linen - Folk & World Music #111

"........ In the United States the most avid and talented champions of this style have to be Madison, Wisconsin's Harmonious Wail , whose latest CD appropriately titled Gypsy Swing, provides a soulful overview of the genre."

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JazzMando.com

".......... this highly capable, tightly cultured Wisconsin-based ensemble has produced a Gypsy “plus” treasure, “ Nonchalant,” their third."

"........ If you aren’t snapping your fingers along with this CD, check with your cardiologist - you have no pulse."

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Rick's Cafe

"...... the album delivers the goods on all fronts: performance, production, design and songwriting / arranging."

"......... completely fresh and compelling."

".........Harmonious Wail’s rendition of “Czardas”, another traditional piece, features some absolutely stunning mandolin work by Sims Delaney-Potthoff. Guitarist Tom Waselchuk’s playing throughout the album is especially masterful. The album is a must-have for any fan of guitar and mandolin based music, jazz or not."

"....... Now stop reading and go buy the album. You won’t be disappointed"

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Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange

".......You'll be smiling from the moment this CD starts to play."

"...... Maggie Delaney-Potthoff is gifted with a voice that may be well trained but sounds completely natural and relaxed."

"....... The musicianship of Harmonious Wail cannot be denied."

"...... What shines through is a sincere love of the acoustic swing-jazz they're playing so well."

"....... a gathering of good friends. "

"...... strangely reminiscent of Frank Zappa's celebrated and just-as-jazzy Mothers of Invention, though of a more friendly and less cynical sort. "

"......... As a matter of fact, if this CD doesn't set your toe to tapping and a smile on your face, you should probably get medication."

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Kevin's Celtic & Folk Music CD Reviews"

"....... Equally important to mention is that an infectious, playful joy emanates from this group--promising a good time will be had by all. An absolute love of offering this music can be felt throughout the many cuts. "

"...... Give it a try and the only regret you'll express is why did you wait so long. "

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Cadence
Review: Airborne

".… this is one of the best albums I've heard all year."

"...... A super plus is the wry, ironic (but never cynical) sense of humor that infuses everything this ensemble presents."

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The Continuum

".......You have to hear this band!"

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Dirty Linen #51

"Their tightly focused instrumental chops show years of playing together, and their vocals are confident and right on target. In particular, they have a great feel for the vintage swing material, and manage to remain true to the spirit of the originals while infusing the songs with contemporary chops and energy. "

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- various