An Elk River Boy made good

R.I.P. Igor Flach

There are many types of harmonicas, some are so different from one another in how you play them that moving from one to another is sometimes as drastic a change as playing a tenor saxophone, then an oboe. Yet, Igor Flach could play them all. There was nothing he could not do musically and no harmonica he could not play.

So, why haven't we heard of him? Maybe, as a nation, we're too wrapped up in Britanny Spears, or whatever kids are into these days. However, it's easier to blame Stalin. When the Iron Curtain was drawn across Europe, there was so much expression going on behind it that we in the West never knew about. A large part of that music scene behind the Iron Curtain was Flach.

Flach was born in 1966 in East Germany. He started playing at age 10 and was primarily a bluesman for most of his life, but he became much more than that. Listen, imitate, innovate. That's what musicians are supposed to do. The good ones listen to what others are doing with their instrument and work elements of what they hear into something creative and new, but usually do so within specific genres. Or at least, music that's made with the Western 7-note scale.

Flach, however, took that a step further as he incorporated sounds from Greek, Russian, Middle Eastern and African folk music into his playing. He launched his professional career in 1984 with the Jonathan Blues Band. From 1987 to 1989, he played with Passat and appeared as a guest musician with Pankow and the Tino Standhaft Band.

In the 1990s, Flach began a solo career and toured the United States, France and Russia. He made guest appearances on several recordings of the period, including the Yardbirds, Alicia Levy, Louisiana Red, The Uwe-Ochsenknecht Band, Abi Wallenstein, Buzz Dee, Rudi Howard and Guitar Crusher. With Stefan Strahl, he created a German-language Neil Young cover band,. Until his death, he was a part of an intensive cooperation with Uwe Bluesrudi Haase as the “Igor flat & Bluesman Rudi" duo.

Flach made six solo albums between 1994 and 2004 and was a part of the “Harmonica Live” music festival in Klingenthal, Germany and operated Harpshop.com. He was the father of two daughters. Flach died in the Intensive Care Unit of the Berlin Cardiology Center following a difficult heart operation. He died only a few days before his his 42nd birthday.

When I hear him play, I hear things that I've never heard on the instrument before. That's the mark of someone who will be talked about an imitated for years to come.

Amazing Grace

Some extreme bending

A little Chord harmonica playing