Dino Soldo
The following interview originally appeared in the National Harmonica League magazine as part of my regular column, Reeds for the Record...
Dino Soldo, a native of Los Angeles, has forged a rare career as a first call "utility" musician and songwriter. As musician and performer, Soldo has played and toured with many of music's legends, including Beyonce, Ray Charles, Leonard Cohen, Elton John, Cyndi Lauper, Lionel Richie, Rob Thomas, Tower of Power, and others. He performs on a wide variety of instruments - woodwinds, keyboards, vocals, guitars, and electronics. In his own words, "I find that I am of service to the performer when I am most in service to the song and that means being flexible to different instrumentation". Most of his recording credits feature his saxophone and chromatic harmonica but he has released 10 solo records. His 2014 release, "Portrait #10", features Will Kennedy on drums while Dino performs all 30 instruments with Americana/Big Band orchestration. More at www.DinoSoldo.net
RG: What/who are your “Gold Standards” for sideman oriented harmonica?
DS: As far as session guys, there’s the Holy Trinity; Larry Adler, Eddy Manson, and Tommy Morgan. They pretty much cinch it up as far as when I was growing up. I first started doing sessions as a saxophone player (before I had delusions of grandeur!) and they pretty much sealed it. They were gods! Sitting next to them and watching them do their thing was just amazing. I learned a lot about how to prepare for a session from Tommy Morgan. He had suitcases full of toys. While I never got as detailed as he can get because he’s a specialist, I did learn some things like keeping and (carrying with you) every model that would sound distinct and making sure you get some good tunings. Nicely in tune and also retuned. One might want to have one that’s tuned four cents sharp and one that’s tuned four cents flat. It’s less of an issue now with digital recording, but you just never know. Tommy and Eddy were insane with the tongue stops and different techniques, but I sort of go towards the Toots and Stevie route of “pucker up and do it”. They really worked it out. They could play sixths and octaves up and down the scale and make it seem easy. They had this atmosphere of freedom with their horn that was so infectious to see! They carried about them an air of “no worries, it’s going to be fine”.
RG: Are there any particular recording of Tommy’s or Eddy’s that particularly stand out? And could you share some information on Eddy? I’m not as familiar with his work...
DS: He’s (Eddy) the guy that does “Moonriver” on Breakfast at Tiffany’s, he’s the guy all over Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July, the Sissy Spacek film, Coal Miner’s Daughter, and ton of TV things. The same with Tommy; The Waltons, the Beach Boys, the Wrecking Crew, Sanford and Son, the list goes on an on!
RG: With all of the instruments you play, what makes you choose the harmonica on a given piece?
DS: The things that usually compete from my arsenal would be soprano sax or clarinet. They have very different sound characteristics. Of course if you have somebody asking for Stevie or Toots, I’ll do that---I’ll come out sounding like me and they’ll be happy at the same time. But usually I look for specific tonalities; if there’s a full arrangement with strings and lyrical phrases, a certain type of melody, or a nostalgic or bluesy tinge will get me to reach for the harp. Sometimes a key will feel better, especially in the arrangement. Say if we’re in Eb with some acoustic guitar, just the darker key on chromatic will carry off the colored notes better than a soprano sax or clarinet.
Backing up from these instruments as an arranger, a harmonica always feels more romantic, nostalgic, and classy. You reach for a sax and you think “jazzy”. I’m talking broad strokes, but there’s a certain thing that every instrument suggests no matter what music you’re playing. Sometimes certain keys are just more fun on one instrument.
The harmonica is a very bright instrument. You’re never going to ask an engineer to boost 8kHz. Sometimes it fits a certain arrangement. It’s pretty hard not to notice a harmonica; if you’re in a grocery store and you hear the first three notes of “I Was Made to Love Her” (Stevie Wonder), you know it! You might not be able to hear the bass or the rest of the instruments, but you’ll still hear it because of the harmonica.
RG: Can you talk about how you approach recording sessions?
DS: Usually a live recording date---something where I’m not emailing, but I’m actually going in---is a process of half experience and half listening. I come in with some hits and misses that gets me in the ballpark, but it’s usually about listening. It requires a certain amount of acting and salesmanship these days. It’s too easy to email in a session that if they want me there, there’s an experience that they are paying for- not in terms of my experience but in terms of the atmosphere they want. They want to go to Disneyland! Growing up in Los Angeles you realize this is music and you have to get the music right, but this is also entertainment. People want to be entertained by listening; producers and artists want to be entertained by the session. If they want you there and want you live, they want to be entertained. We might as well give it to them! I’m not talking about being fake, I’m talking about being your best self; coming in ready for anything with a good attitude.
It’s both in front and away from the mic. You have to listen for what they want even before you play a note. Sometimes it works to do a couple of name or style references for the type of music that they want to achieve. You don’t want anyone thinking “I don’t like this guy, he doesn’t seem to get what we’re doing” before you’ve even played a note. Music is a very visceral thing and even before the red light goes on, there are so many mistakes that can happen. It’s there, call it shuck-and-jive, call it what you want, but it’s there. We have to let people know that we’re there because we love music and it shows by how much music we’ve listened to and how much we’ve incorporated that into our playing.
RG: Are there particular skills that have helped you succeed in the studios?
DS: My experience with other instruments and arranging carries me along in the broader perspective of serving the music. I don’t think in specialist terms. I’m usually trying to find the spaces in the music and NOT fill them, but leave the sanctity of that space for what it is. Find the places that are the most obvious to fill and not get too cutesy about it. On a practical level, when I come in I have so many instruments that it’s easy to not feel like I have to sell them on anything. Just say, “I’m here for you, I’m here for the song, and let’s figure out the best way to do that.” It’s happened twice where I came in and didn’t play at all, but then there have also been times where I’ve played thirteen instruments and it’s a full day’s work. I’ve had to practice playing cold, ice cold! Sometimes windsavers will get stuck and I’ll have to fake it and figure out how it’s going to work if the red light is on or I’m on stage in front of a lot of people. I’ve had to learn to think on my feet. A lot of harmonica players have tricks for keeping the harp warm, but I’m playing so many different instruments and we all get to a space where we have to play cold, so practice playing cold. Put five harps in front of you and as soon as one gets warm, switch. Just learn that feeling and make friends with it! Something is eventually going to go wrong and you need to know your proven way of getting around that.
RG: You’ve recorded in a lot of different studio settings. What tips can you give for capturing a good harmonica sound in different environments?
DS: I don’t really feel that I need my Neumann mics when I’m tracking on the road. They’re expensive and the mixing down process is out of my hands. Usually I tell producers to set me up like a female vocalist. I prefer a bump in the frequencies from 1-2.5 kHz---it’s about as low as the harmonica can go in frequency and I want a nice full sound. Of course the brightness will take care of itself. If someone has a budget studio, a C414 works great, Studio Projects mics are great, and I’m not sure what the new mics you can get off the rack at Guitar Center are, but I can guarantee you that they will fit the bill too. It’s important to go in front as many mics as you can and figure out what your best sound is. Sometimes a change in stance will really effect what’s going to come off. Use the room too, don’t be afraid of the room! The room has its own sound and if it fits the music, why fight it? It’s really about being intimate with the mic you have. Some of the most classic recordings have been made on 57’s, 58’s, and bullet mics and again it’s really about serving the song and what it needs. However you can get there is valid. Rarely is it going to be perfect and any vocal mic will serve you well for acoustic chromatic.
RG: Are there any mixing tips you might give?
DS: Learn the multi compressor! They are a harmonica player’s best friend. If you don’t know how they work, learn! There’s a lot that can wrong if one isn't familiar so make sure you learn how to use it.
Over the years, I’ve been trying to get a warmer and warmer sound and have been experimenting with different things. I haven’t checked out the new wood bells (coverplates) they have now. I play Hohners and they haven’t come out with wood bells so I’ve had to go out to the garage and make a few...unsuccessfully! I actually took off the coverplates and put a Super 64 inside a walnut chassis when I was rehearsing for Leonard Cohen. Now, Rolling Stone calls the Leonard Cohen band the “World’s softest rock ‘n roll band” and it’s true. I can’t get soft enough! I tried so many different ways with cloths and other things to make it warmer and quieter and it had me obsessing a bit. I’ve tried playing into coffee cups for an effect and with different techniques. I think there’s something to that that hasn’t quite happened yet. I’m not sure exactly what that is, but I can’t wait for it to come out!
When you think of the main superheroes of chromatic, Toots and Stevie, they have wide open sounds. The art is having that wide open sound with a naturally warm tone without having to do a lot of Larry Adler-esque hand technique. I’m looking for that solution that will fit better in more tracks.
RG: Are there any particular areas of the harmonica that you’re interested in?
DS: So many players inspire me! The Hendrik Meurkens’s, the Howard Levy’s---I’m constantly shamed when I listen to them. It makes me feel that I can dig in so much more. But I chose a specific path, the multi-instrumentalist path, where I only have so much time. I just want to get to a space like Tommy Morgan with a feeling of complete freedom and if I can just sit in that space a bit longer each time, I’ll be happy! Mastery; having the feeling that the instrument disappears. Some players always seem to be doing their “isms” , but that sense of mastery is what interests me. Where it doesn’t sound like a harmonica. It’s just an instrument doing its very best.
RG: Any advice you’d give to an aspiring studio player or harmonica player?
DS: I think it’s important to know the song you’re playing and serve it the best you can. And know the audience you’re playing for. And what I mean by that (beyond the style) is that if you’re on stage, make sure you remember what a cheap seat feels like and play for them; play for the people who can’t hear so well or you’ll be lost. People lose their chances a lot because they don’t serve the people listening to them. The flurry of notes will be lost on people when you’re playing live. Keep it is a simple as you can and again serve the song and save the technique for the recordings. And when the recordings come, be prepared for the worst so that everything feels great!
RG: Are there any of your records or sideman work you’d recommend our readers check out?
DS: As far as my records go, I did one in 2012 called Human with a lot of harmonica as well as last year’s Portrait #10, where I rented a house and brought everything I can play just to see what would happen. I can’t play drums so I had Will Kennedy play drums. It’s sort of a big band record. I did some stuff I’m quite proud of with Leonard Cohen---mostly live records and I produced a track for him. For me it was great because he allowed me to stay spontaneous, and I had a really great musical relationship with him. He likes the prepared, worked out sound, but he really let me serve the moment in an improvisational way. I think I’m one of the only members of his band that he has allowed that freedom. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had and I’m quite proud of the years I’ve had with him.
In 2016 I seriously hope to finish my next project; songs inspired by Homer's Odyssey - where each character is represented by its own featured instrument. I'll be on the road with Lionel Richie for most of the year and also start the "painting a day" charity for each day on tour (https://www.facebook.com/RoadWorksPaintings/). This, plus being a married father of 3, I guess I'll have to look for something to fill my time.
RG: Any closing thoughts?
DS: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share these things, Ross---I just have gratitude!
Go to https://www.facebook.com/RoadWorksPaintings/
Dino Soldo, a native of Los Angeles, has forged a rare career as a first call "utility" musician and songwriter. As musician and performer, Soldo has played and toured with many of music's legends, including Beyonce, Ray Charles, Leonard Cohen, Elton John, Cyndi Lauper, Lionel Richie, Rob Thomas, Tower of Power, and others. He performs on a wide variety of instruments - woodwinds, keyboards, vocals, guitars, and electronics. In his own words, "I find that I am of service to the performer when I am most in service to the song and that means being flexible to different instrumentation". Most of his recording credits feature his saxophone and chromatic harmonica but he has released 10 solo records. His 2014 release, "Portrait #10", features Will Kennedy on drums while Dino performs all 30 instruments with Americana/Big Band orchestration. More at www.DinoSoldo.net
RG: What/who are your “Gold Standards” for sideman oriented harmonica?
DS: As far as session guys, there’s the Holy Trinity; Larry Adler, Eddy Manson, and Tommy Morgan. They pretty much cinch it up as far as when I was growing up. I first started doing sessions as a saxophone player (before I had delusions of grandeur!) and they pretty much sealed it. They were gods! Sitting next to them and watching them do their thing was just amazing. I learned a lot about how to prepare for a session from Tommy Morgan. He had suitcases full of toys. While I never got as detailed as he can get because he’s a specialist, I did learn some things like keeping and (carrying with you) every model that would sound distinct and making sure you get some good tunings. Nicely in tune and also retuned. One might want to have one that’s tuned four cents sharp and one that’s tuned four cents flat. It’s less of an issue now with digital recording, but you just never know. Tommy and Eddy were insane with the tongue stops and different techniques, but I sort of go towards the Toots and Stevie route of “pucker up and do it”. They really worked it out. They could play sixths and octaves up and down the scale and make it seem easy. They had this atmosphere of freedom with their horn that was so infectious to see! They carried about them an air of “no worries, it’s going to be fine”.
RG: Are there any particular recording of Tommy’s or Eddy’s that particularly stand out? And could you share some information on Eddy? I’m not as familiar with his work...
DS: He’s (Eddy) the guy that does “Moonriver” on Breakfast at Tiffany’s, he’s the guy all over Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July, the Sissy Spacek film, Coal Miner’s Daughter, and ton of TV things. The same with Tommy; The Waltons, the Beach Boys, the Wrecking Crew, Sanford and Son, the list goes on an on!
RG: With all of the instruments you play, what makes you choose the harmonica on a given piece?
DS: The things that usually compete from my arsenal would be soprano sax or clarinet. They have very different sound characteristics. Of course if you have somebody asking for Stevie or Toots, I’ll do that---I’ll come out sounding like me and they’ll be happy at the same time. But usually I look for specific tonalities; if there’s a full arrangement with strings and lyrical phrases, a certain type of melody, or a nostalgic or bluesy tinge will get me to reach for the harp. Sometimes a key will feel better, especially in the arrangement. Say if we’re in Eb with some acoustic guitar, just the darker key on chromatic will carry off the colored notes better than a soprano sax or clarinet.
Backing up from these instruments as an arranger, a harmonica always feels more romantic, nostalgic, and classy. You reach for a sax and you think “jazzy”. I’m talking broad strokes, but there’s a certain thing that every instrument suggests no matter what music you’re playing. Sometimes certain keys are just more fun on one instrument.
The harmonica is a very bright instrument. You’re never going to ask an engineer to boost 8kHz. Sometimes it fits a certain arrangement. It’s pretty hard not to notice a harmonica; if you’re in a grocery store and you hear the first three notes of “I Was Made to Love Her” (Stevie Wonder), you know it! You might not be able to hear the bass or the rest of the instruments, but you’ll still hear it because of the harmonica.
RG: Can you talk about how you approach recording sessions?
DS: Usually a live recording date---something where I’m not emailing, but I’m actually going in---is a process of half experience and half listening. I come in with some hits and misses that gets me in the ballpark, but it’s usually about listening. It requires a certain amount of acting and salesmanship these days. It’s too easy to email in a session that if they want me there, there’s an experience that they are paying for- not in terms of my experience but in terms of the atmosphere they want. They want to go to Disneyland! Growing up in Los Angeles you realize this is music and you have to get the music right, but this is also entertainment. People want to be entertained by listening; producers and artists want to be entertained by the session. If they want you there and want you live, they want to be entertained. We might as well give it to them! I’m not talking about being fake, I’m talking about being your best self; coming in ready for anything with a good attitude.
It’s both in front and away from the mic. You have to listen for what they want even before you play a note. Sometimes it works to do a couple of name or style references for the type of music that they want to achieve. You don’t want anyone thinking “I don’t like this guy, he doesn’t seem to get what we’re doing” before you’ve even played a note. Music is a very visceral thing and even before the red light goes on, there are so many mistakes that can happen. It’s there, call it shuck-and-jive, call it what you want, but it’s there. We have to let people know that we’re there because we love music and it shows by how much music we’ve listened to and how much we’ve incorporated that into our playing.
RG: Are there particular skills that have helped you succeed in the studios?
DS: My experience with other instruments and arranging carries me along in the broader perspective of serving the music. I don’t think in specialist terms. I’m usually trying to find the spaces in the music and NOT fill them, but leave the sanctity of that space for what it is. Find the places that are the most obvious to fill and not get too cutesy about it. On a practical level, when I come in I have so many instruments that it’s easy to not feel like I have to sell them on anything. Just say, “I’m here for you, I’m here for the song, and let’s figure out the best way to do that.” It’s happened twice where I came in and didn’t play at all, but then there have also been times where I’ve played thirteen instruments and it’s a full day’s work. I’ve had to practice playing cold, ice cold! Sometimes windsavers will get stuck and I’ll have to fake it and figure out how it’s going to work if the red light is on or I’m on stage in front of a lot of people. I’ve had to learn to think on my feet. A lot of harmonica players have tricks for keeping the harp warm, but I’m playing so many different instruments and we all get to a space where we have to play cold, so practice playing cold. Put five harps in front of you and as soon as one gets warm, switch. Just learn that feeling and make friends with it! Something is eventually going to go wrong and you need to know your proven way of getting around that.
RG: You’ve recorded in a lot of different studio settings. What tips can you give for capturing a good harmonica sound in different environments?
DS: I don’t really feel that I need my Neumann mics when I’m tracking on the road. They’re expensive and the mixing down process is out of my hands. Usually I tell producers to set me up like a female vocalist. I prefer a bump in the frequencies from 1-2.5 kHz---it’s about as low as the harmonica can go in frequency and I want a nice full sound. Of course the brightness will take care of itself. If someone has a budget studio, a C414 works great, Studio Projects mics are great, and I’m not sure what the new mics you can get off the rack at Guitar Center are, but I can guarantee you that they will fit the bill too. It’s important to go in front as many mics as you can and figure out what your best sound is. Sometimes a change in stance will really effect what’s going to come off. Use the room too, don’t be afraid of the room! The room has its own sound and if it fits the music, why fight it? It’s really about being intimate with the mic you have. Some of the most classic recordings have been made on 57’s, 58’s, and bullet mics and again it’s really about serving the song and what it needs. However you can get there is valid. Rarely is it going to be perfect and any vocal mic will serve you well for acoustic chromatic.
RG: Are there any mixing tips you might give?
DS: Learn the multi compressor! They are a harmonica player’s best friend. If you don’t know how they work, learn! There’s a lot that can wrong if one isn't familiar so make sure you learn how to use it.
Over the years, I’ve been trying to get a warmer and warmer sound and have been experimenting with different things. I haven’t checked out the new wood bells (coverplates) they have now. I play Hohners and they haven’t come out with wood bells so I’ve had to go out to the garage and make a few...unsuccessfully! I actually took off the coverplates and put a Super 64 inside a walnut chassis when I was rehearsing for Leonard Cohen. Now, Rolling Stone calls the Leonard Cohen band the “World’s softest rock ‘n roll band” and it’s true. I can’t get soft enough! I tried so many different ways with cloths and other things to make it warmer and quieter and it had me obsessing a bit. I’ve tried playing into coffee cups for an effect and with different techniques. I think there’s something to that that hasn’t quite happened yet. I’m not sure exactly what that is, but I can’t wait for it to come out!
When you think of the main superheroes of chromatic, Toots and Stevie, they have wide open sounds. The art is having that wide open sound with a naturally warm tone without having to do a lot of Larry Adler-esque hand technique. I’m looking for that solution that will fit better in more tracks.
RG: Are there any particular areas of the harmonica that you’re interested in?
DS: So many players inspire me! The Hendrik Meurkens’s, the Howard Levy’s---I’m constantly shamed when I listen to them. It makes me feel that I can dig in so much more. But I chose a specific path, the multi-instrumentalist path, where I only have so much time. I just want to get to a space like Tommy Morgan with a feeling of complete freedom and if I can just sit in that space a bit longer each time, I’ll be happy! Mastery; having the feeling that the instrument disappears. Some players always seem to be doing their “isms” , but that sense of mastery is what interests me. Where it doesn’t sound like a harmonica. It’s just an instrument doing its very best.
RG: Any advice you’d give to an aspiring studio player or harmonica player?
DS: I think it’s important to know the song you’re playing and serve it the best you can. And know the audience you’re playing for. And what I mean by that (beyond the style) is that if you’re on stage, make sure you remember what a cheap seat feels like and play for them; play for the people who can’t hear so well or you’ll be lost. People lose their chances a lot because they don’t serve the people listening to them. The flurry of notes will be lost on people when you’re playing live. Keep it is a simple as you can and again serve the song and save the technique for the recordings. And when the recordings come, be prepared for the worst so that everything feels great!
RG: Are there any of your records or sideman work you’d recommend our readers check out?
DS: As far as my records go, I did one in 2012 called Human with a lot of harmonica as well as last year’s Portrait #10, where I rented a house and brought everything I can play just to see what would happen. I can’t play drums so I had Will Kennedy play drums. It’s sort of a big band record. I did some stuff I’m quite proud of with Leonard Cohen---mostly live records and I produced a track for him. For me it was great because he allowed me to stay spontaneous, and I had a really great musical relationship with him. He likes the prepared, worked out sound, but he really let me serve the moment in an improvisational way. I think I’m one of the only members of his band that he has allowed that freedom. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had and I’m quite proud of the years I’ve had with him.
In 2016 I seriously hope to finish my next project; songs inspired by Homer's Odyssey - where each character is represented by its own featured instrument. I'll be on the road with Lionel Richie for most of the year and also start the "painting a day" charity for each day on tour (https://www.facebook.com/RoadWorksPaintings/). This, plus being a married father of 3, I guess I'll have to look for something to fill my time.
RG: Any closing thoughts?
DS: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share these things, Ross---I just have gratitude!
Go to https://www.facebook.com/RoadWorksPaintings/