John Wright – Promenade (Guimbarde-Jews Harp) (Buda Musique, 2025)
John Wright (1939–2013) was a pioneering English musician who elevated the jaw harp (also known as jew’s harp and mouth harp), often dismissed as a toy, into a vehicle for serious musical exploration. Living in France for much of his life, he became one of the instrument’s most admired advocates, celebrated for both his technical mastery and his dedication to traditional music.
Although originally a singer and multi-instrumentalist (crwth lyre, violin), Wright developed a deep connection to the jew’s harp. He described its sound as something that “walks through your mouth and down your throat,” highlighting the intimate interplay between breath, resonance, and rhythm.
Wright’s philosophy, “Tradition is a permanent revolution,” shaped his lifelong mission to reinvigorate traditional music in France. In 1969, he co-founded Le Bourdon with Catherine Perrier and others, establishing a Paris-based folk club that nurtured countless new musicians. It was there he met Vietnamese musician Tran Quang Hai, a virtuoso of the jaw harp and overtone singing, forging an artistic bond.
Alongside Perrier, Wright traveled extensively, engaging with traditional musicians around the world and sharing the jaw harp’s cultural richness. His participation in the inaugural International Jew’s Harp Congress in the United States in 1984 cemented his role as an ambassador for the instrument.
Wright’s legacy is preserved in Promenade, a collection of 11 tracks recorded in 1989 by Patrick Georges and reissued by Buda Musique in 2025. The album focuses the instrument’s surprising range and includes commentary from colleagues and experts, offering both a musical and intellectual portrait of Wright’s artistry.
Known for his generosity and intellectual curiosity, Wright inspired many to reimagine folk traditions. Offstage, his other great passion, steam locomotives, echoed his musical passion: a fascination with breath, movement, and mechanical beauty.
- Track list:
- Promenade
- Série Parallèle, Décalée, Rentrante
- Clowns Musiciens
- Old Spaud’s Hornpipe
- Pas De Deux
- La Sortie Des Masques
- Ni Feu Ni Flamme
- Inflexions
- Cuddie Clauder
- Ritournelle Décortiquée 1
- Ritournelle Décortiquée 2
Buy Promenade.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.