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Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Mathias Heise interview

March 11, 2022 Neil Warren Season 1 Episode 57

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Mathias is a chromatic player from Denmark, near Copenhagen, and the music scene there

Was the first harmonica player to attend Music Conservatory in Copenhagen

First musical instrument was violin

Hearing harmonica on television when 8 years old inspired him to take up the diatonic

Started playing chromatic a few years later

Had lessons on violin but enjoyed the freedom of the harmonica more

Also learnt piano when young and the way it has supported learning chromatic

The comparisons between the chromatic and piano

Had some harmonica lessons on diatonic and chromatic, and lessons with a saxophone player

The value of having a face-to-face teacher

Also important to spend a lot of time yourself with your instrument, especially the harmonica

Value of learning jazz chromatic from a saxophone player, and transcribing saxophone solos

Advice for people who want to take on learning jazz on the chromatic

Mathias decision to move entirely to chromatic and overblows on diatonic

Differences between diatonic and chromatic harmonicas

Harmonica players who influenced Mathias: Toots Thielemans and Stevie Wonder

Antonio Serrano is another influence

Won the World Harmonica Championship at the age of 20, which helped raised his profile

Did a performance with Phillip Achille at that World Harmonica festival

Won the composers competition ‘New Jazz Star of the Year’ in Denmark in 2015, for his debut album Sudden Ascent

Mathias approaches composing using both the chromatic and the piano

The Mathias Heise Quadrillion band is a fusion of funk, rock and jazz

Mathias is possibly the only fusion harmonica player in the world today

Has been making use of some effects pedals more recently

Second album, Decadence, released in 2017, and what is a Quadrillion

The band spends a lot of time in post-production on the albums

Third album is called The Beast, recorded with Danish State Big Band

Mathias wrote the arrangements for all the instruments in the Big Band

Released two singles recently, which are part of a new album coming out in June 22

Releasing singles is a strategy to get on streaming platform playlists

Done lots of recordings as a sideman on other performers albums

The appeal of the chromatic harmonica to the female vocalist

Other recordings with different artists

Recently been playing in a duo with a guitar player and role of chromatic in a duo

TV sessions and appearances on Denmark TV and harmonica composition which Mathias plays

Does a little face-to-face teaching when it fits into busy schedule

Festival and international appearances

10 minute question

Practise regime

Plays the G48 chromatic

Diatonics of choice and how much he plays them

Only uses 12 hole chromatics and in only uses key of C, for now

Suzuki chromatic bass harmonica

Embouchre and split octaves

Amplification and using reverb

The actual pedals Mathias uses

Also uses SM58 when recording

Also cups SM58 when playing and recording

Info

Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Mathias Heise interview

Mar 11, 2022 Season 1 Episode 57

Neil Warren

Mathias Heise joins me on episode 57.

Mathias is a chromatic player from Copenhagen in Denmark. He started out playing diatonic, aged eight, before moving across to the chromatic, with which he was the first player to attend the Music Conservatory in Copenhagen.
Mathias won the World Harmonica Championship in Trossingen at the age of 20 with his own composition, Sudden Ascent. The album containing this track won Mathias the composers competition ‘New Jazz Star of the Year’ in Denmark in 2015. In his band, the Mathias Heise Quadrillion, Mathias is leading the way as a chromatic player in a jazz fusion band.
His most recent album, The Beast, is recorded with the Danish Radio Big Band, with all the arrangements written by Mathias.
He has also appeared on numerous recordings as a sideman and more recently in a duo with a guitarist. Mathias has two new jazz albums coming out later in 2022.

Links:
https://www.mathiasheise.dk/

https://www.mathiasheiseq.com/

Suzuki chromatic bass harmonica:
http://www.suzukimusic.co.uk/products/harmonica/orchestral.html

Clockwork delay pedal:
https://rockettpedals.com/product/clockwork-echo/

Hall of Fame reverb pedal:
https://www.tcelectronic.com/product.html?modelCode=P0CYY

Videos:
Isn’t She Lovely:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmd4mKAUDxQ

Spain with Phillip Achille:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gu1kaek-Dk

ShuffleFunk with effects pedal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZKDZolEBVM

Playing in a duo with guitarist Pelle von Bulow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMCOZTgYPzY

HUK 2017: Killer Joe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqFVhUCcS98

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
and Blows Me Away Productions: http://www.blowsmeaway.com/

Support the show

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Mathias Heise joins me on episode 57.

Mathias is a chromatic player from Copenhagen in Denmark. He started out playing diatonic, aged eight, before moving across to the chromatic, with which he was the first player to attend the Music Conservatory in Copenhagen.
Mathias won the World Harmonica Championship in Trossingen at the age of 20 with his own composition, Sudden Ascent. The album containing this track won Mathias the composers competition ‘New Jazz Star of the Year’ in Denmark in 2015. In his band, the Mathias Heise Quadrillion, Mathias is leading the way as a chromatic player in a jazz fusion band.
His most recent album, The Beast, is recorded with the Danish Radio Big Band, with all the arrangements written by Mathias.
He has also appeared on numerous recordings as a sideman and more recently in a duo with a guitarist. Mathias has two new jazz albums coming out later in 2022.

Links:
https://www.mathiasheise.dk/

https://www.mathiasheiseq.com/

Suzuki chromatic bass harmonica:
http://www.suzukimusic.co.uk/products/harmonica/orchestral.html

Clockwork delay pedal:
https://rockettpedals.com/product/clockwork-echo/

Hall of Fame reverb pedal:
https://www.tcelectronic.com/product.html?modelCode=P0CYY

Videos:
Isn’t She Lovely:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmd4mKAUDxQ

Spain with Phillip Achille:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gu1kaek-Dk

ShuffleFunk with effects pedal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZKDZolEBVM

Playing in a duo with guitarist Pelle von Bulow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMCOZTgYPzY

HUK 2017: Killer Joe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqFVhUCcS98

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
and Blows Me Away Productions: http://www.blowsmeaway.com/

Support the show

Mathias is a chromatic player from Denmark, near Copenhagen, and the music scene there

Was the first harmonica player to attend Music Conservatory in Copenhagen

First musical instrument was violin

Hearing harmonica on television when 8 years old inspired him to take up the diatonic

Started playing chromatic a few years later

Had lessons on violin but enjoyed the freedom of the harmonica more

Also learnt piano when young and the way it has supported learning chromatic

The comparisons between the chromatic and piano

Had some harmonica lessons on diatonic and chromatic, and lessons with a saxophone player

The value of having a face-to-face teacher

Also important to spend a lot of time yourself with your instrument, especially the harmonica

Value of learning jazz chromatic from a saxophone player, and transcribing saxophone solos

Advice for people who want to take on learning jazz on the chromatic

Mathias decision to move entirely to chromatic and overblows on diatonic

Differences between diatonic and chromatic harmonicas

Harmonica players who influenced Mathias: Toots Thielemans and Stevie Wonder

Antonio Serrano is another influence

Won the World Harmonica Championship at the age of 20, which helped raised his profile

Did a performance with Phillip Achille at that World Harmonica festival

Won the composers competition ‘New Jazz Star of the Year’ in Denmark in 2015, for his debut album Sudden Ascent

Mathias approaches composing using both the chromatic and the piano

The Mathias Heise Quadrillion band is a fusion of funk, rock and jazz

Mathias is possibly the only fusion harmonica player in the world today

Has been making use of some effects pedals more recently

Second album, Decadence, released in 2017, and what is a Quadrillion

The band spends a lot of time in post-production on the albums

Third album is called The Beast, recorded with Danish State Big Band

Mathias wrote the arrangements for all the instruments in the Big Band

Released two singles recently, which are part of a new album coming out in June 22

Releasing singles is a strategy to get on streaming platform playlists

Done lots of recordings as a sideman on other performers albums

The appeal of the chromatic harmonica to the female vocalist

Other recordings with different artists

Recently been playing in a duo with a guitar player and role of chromatic in a duo

Doesn’t sing

TV sessions and appearances on Denmark TV and harmonica composition which Mathias plays

Does a little face-to-face teaching when it fits into busy schedule

Festival and international appearances

10 minute question

Practise regime

Plays the G48 chromatic

Diatonics of choice and how much he plays them

Only uses 12 hole chromatics and in only uses key of C, for now

Suzuki chromatic bass harmonica

Embouchre and split octaves

Uses SM58 mic

Amplification and using reverb

The actual pedals Mathias uses

Also uses SM58 when recording

Also cups SM58 when playing and recording

Future plans