Three tune Tuesday - Songs in the key of Andreas Vollenweider

I remember the first time I heard Andreas Vollenweider. I was sitting in my brother's car, waiting for him to come out of a garden machinery rental shop. It was an old yellow Volkswagon Passat in the 1980s. I helped my brother do gardening during the summer holidays and spent a long time in this car waiting for him. In the glove box was a collection of tapes he had copied from a model he had dated in New York when he lived there for a year. The solitary words Caverna Magica were written on one of the tapes. I popped it in the tapedeck and the rest was history. I was taken on a journey of sights and sounds deep underground and was instantly hooked. Who was making these sounds?

There is no musician that sends tingles up and down my spine like Andreas. I find it hard to class it. Jazz, maybe but, one that is like a symphony.

I finally tracked down the artist years later. In the days before the internet tracking international music was quite difficult. Finally, I found my own copy of the album in a music shop in Munich, Germany. The cover art jumped out at me as an omen of the type of work I would spend my life creating but didn't know it yet. The Album title came into focus and it brought me back instantly to those moments sitting in my brother's car. I finally had a name to put to the sound. I bought the Vinyl and guarded it with my life for the rest of my travels till I could get home and spin the disk.

So the first Tune I would like to play for you is this wonderful concept album

Caverna Magic

Over the years I have tried to acquire every sound Andreas has put to tape. He is Swiss German and although I discovered he has international fame, Ireland seems to have missed him. I could not find his stuff in any of our record shops and so had to wait till I could travel more to the mainland of Europe to find more. Of course now with the internet things have become easier.

Andreas' main instrument is an electro-acoustic harp but he also plays many others which he collects on his travels. As an instrument, the harp is really quite versatile. From bass to treble it has it covered.

I would give my left testicle to see this guy in concert and luckily due to the Covid lockdowns, he started producing small video clips on Youtube because he could not perform.

So this next Tune is one of his mini-concerts.

Live@ home Mini-Concert #2

It really seems like a live concert is where it is. He plays with some amazing session musicians and famous international artists like Lady Smith Black Mambazo and Carly Simon. I will let you track down those tracks for yourself.

For my last Tune we have another live performance with just drums (Walter Kaiser) Cello (Isobel Gehweiler) and Harp (Andreas Vollenweider)

Mini Concert #10

Check him out. You might surprise yourself and like it.