Jason AndSoul
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2013
Music
Press
Hahn is one of those acoustic guitarists that seems to be using overdubbing when recording. Then as you listen closely, you realize that he could be doing everything with one guitar, but he must be really good to get such a full sound. Not that he is trying to impress you, which is a failing of some talented players. Hahn uses his talent to vary his sound with an arsenal of techniques. - Morning Call
A fresh, new, folk talent just blew into town. And he's still blowin' great new harmonica at some of the hottest gigs in Philly. Ansel Barnum is the talented mouth harp man and he's a great, crowd please--from recording studios to Festival stages. Check him out: Ansel Barnum---even his name has a familiar show business ring.
--Gene Shay - "The Dean of American Folk DJs"
Founder, Philadelphia Folk Fest
DJ, WXPN & Folk Alley - Gene Shay (WXPN radio host, Philadelphia Folk Festival emcee)
"Although no finishers [of the contest] were designated beyond first, the act that I had first on my scorecard -- harmonica-and-guitar duo Jason Hahn and Ansel Barnum of Bethlehem playing as Jason and Ansel -- would have finished second based on how we judges ranked and scored them.
The duo, who also did well in last month’s Lehigh Valley Music Awards acoustic awards contest at Listen! Live Music in Zionsville, played dynamic instrumentals that – as a set should -- got progressively better. The final – “I Wish I Could Sing Like Everybody Else, But Where’s the Fun in Conformity?” was a rich, textured and layered song with a nice melody." - Morning Call
Discography
Work in progress.
Photos
Bio
Ansel Barnum plays a common instrument with uncommon finesse. Breaking with conventions and constraints, he makes the humble folk harmonica reach an expressive depth beyond its familiar style. His melodic versatility and vivid tone give the instrument a compelling voice that he has taken across diverse musical borders, from folk to funk, Celtic to classical, blues to baroque, and traditions in between. A student of master and innovator Howard Levy, Ansel pushes the limits of the reeds using chromatic techniques that unlock access to all the notes in the diatonic harmonica. By tapping into this unrestricted potential he shows how underestimated the simple little instrument really is.
After hearing guitar masters Don Ross, Michael Hedges, and Leo Kotke, Jason Hahn promptly abandoned his electric guitar and began focusing on the acoustic. He went on to study music at the University of New Haven where he experimented with alternative techniques like altered tunings, two handed tapping, and percussive fingerstyle. These methods soon became incorporated into his own compositions and grew to define a rich multi-layered sound. The intricate polyphony seems like an aural illusion of multiple instruments, yet he alone weaves together lyrical melodic themes, hard driving grooves, and complex harmonic textures with just two hands and one guitar. From these mesmerizing techniques Jason constructs a musical narrative for songs to travels on, a journey as captivating to hear as to see it played.
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