Charles Pasi and the Harmonica's Second Life

Few people reach for the harmonica when they want to say something new about jazz. Charles Pasi does.

Born in 1984, the French musician has been active since 2006, when his first album, Mainly Blue, introduced a sound that sits between modern jazz and the blues. The harmonica is the signature of that sound. In his hands it can sound raw and smoky, and it can also sound sleek and urbane.

His second album, Uncaged (2011), took him further out. Saxophonist Archie Shepp, a name with real weight in jazz, joined him on two tracks. On the station you can hear the album's era in "Up to Us" and "Old Lady Paris", which are loose, melodic and a little nostalgic.

His later work leans more towards soul and pop. "Too Many Friends" (2014) and "City Of Light" (2017) show that side of him, and "Happy Single" (2021) is the most recent track we play.

A good place to start is "Love Me Or Leave Me". Listen for the harmonica after the first verse, where it takes over from the voice.