David Kraus: The Listening Room
Hochin
David Kraus ~ acoustic steel & nylon string guitarsBuy the Album
Jamie Masefield ~ mandolin
Mark van Gulden ~ vibraphone
Clyde Stats ~ acoustic bass
This tune is a soft, lyrical and dream-like waltz. A clear finger picked pattern on the steel string acoustic guitar, coupled with the simple bass line, holds the harmonic structure in tact and propels the rhythm. Vibraphone takes the melody on the first two "A" sections, handing it off to the mandolin for the "B" section, with the vibes then returning for the last "A". The solos are played sequentially one instrument moving seamlessly into the next. Nylon string guitar takes the first "A" with the mandolin coming in for the second "A". Vibes pick up the "B" section then the nylon string appears again to take up the last "A". Vibes pick up the melody at "B" followed by a last "A" section played in unison by the vibes and nylon string guitar with the mandolin in harmony. The word "Hochin" is from the Pueblo Sioux language and translates as "Watcher." I found it in a wonderful book of present day Native American stories collected by the well known Native American scholar Paula Gunn Allen, a professor at the University of New Mexico.
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