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When it comes to the harmonica, Frédéric Yonnet knows how to turn skeptics into believers. Most people perceive the harmonica as a “side” instrument used in country and blues. However, Yonnet – as part of a wave of musicians that emerged from Europe’s jazz underground – is one of a handful of musicians to successfully demonstrate the harmonica’s versatility as a lead instrument in contemporary jazz, R&B and other genres of music.

Just listen to his sound. It funks. It rocks. It hips and hops. It grooves. It sways. It testifies. It prays. It has a reverence for blues and jazz while appealing to a generation breed on pop rock and hip-hop. The attention and praise he has garnered from such popular musical and generational icons as Stevie Wonder and Dave Chappelle as well as performances with Erykah Badu, John Legend, India.Arie, Angie Stone, Branford Marsalis, Diane Schuur,  Ivan Neville and Joey McIntyre has exposed him and his powerhouse sound to a wide and diverse audience. Believing that "limitations are not in the instrument but in one's thinking," Yonnet is poised to change the way the music industry and enthusiasts regard the "pocket" instrument.

Yonnet, born in Normandy, France to a Parisian father and French Guyanese Creole mother, lived in and around Paris most of his life. His father, a civil engineer and part-time theater actor, and grandfather, Jacques Yonnet, writer and author of Paris Noir – a memoir that explores the dark heart of the City of Lights – honed the young Yonnet’s appreciation for the arts. Yonnet always knew his calling was to the stage but he was not sure which one. 

As a child, he and his dad performed in French theaters doing comedy. By 14, he decided to literally march to the beat of his own drum. Shortly thereafter, he performed with organist Jimmy Smith at the Marciac Jazz Festival. At 19, after a short stint as a drummer, Yonnet revisited an instrument he had as a child – the harmonica. “I got kicked out of a lot of bands because I kept trying to play the melody on the drums,” said Yonnet. “On the harmonica I can play both the melody and the rhythm. Plus the harmonica is much lighter to carry.”

Well, maybe not so much.

These days, Yonnet, now based in the U.S., travels with pedal boards, mixers, amps microphones and over 50 diatonic harmonicas. Despite having an endorsement deal with Seydel, the oldest harmonica manufacturer in the world, he still prefers to carry a few backup harps. “I’m pretty intense on the harmonica and I have to have the sharpest ax at all time.”

And he’s not afraid to yield it. They’re aren’t many people that would take on Stevie Wonder tête-à-tête on the harmonica but Yonnet proved more than capable when they performed together during several Wonder tour dates in 2007-08. “Frédéric Yonnet — a Wonder disciple — had a crazy harmonica duel that almost sent Stevie flying off the stage in a frenzy”, cited Fox News following their performance at Madison Square Garden. Another fan described the performance at Madison Square Garden like “watching Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. There was a reverence between the two that was totally complicit and genuine."Without a doubt, Wonder has been Yonnet’s biggest musical inspiration.

“Stevie’s mastery of the chromatic harmonica, is what I strive for on the diatonic,” said Yonnet.

Yonnet’s ability to play chromatic scales on the diatonic harmonica gives him an unlimited range of notes and sounds, of which he takes full advantage. Yonnet demonstrates his command of technique and skill by masterfully bridging the gap between the diatonic and chromatic harmonicas -- impressing fans of both.

Yonnet’s current CD positions the artist where he and his music deservingly should to be – Front and Center. The harmonica takes the lead when Yonnet brings it out front to demonstrate its versatility and range.

In Front and Center, Yonnet orients listeners to the musical capabilities of the harmonica by keeping much of the music familiar, covering songs like Boogie On Reggae Woman, Days of Wine and Roses, For the Love of You, What a Wonderful World and God Bless the Child. Yonnet and his five-piece band perform original treatments of the jazz standard as well as two original tunes written in collaboration with French harmonicist and composer Michel Herblin.

Yonnet works double-time playing both the lead melody and some of the background rhythms in Boogie On Reggae Woman. Rounding out the sound is Vince Evans on keys, Michael Bowie, bass, Stan Cooper, guitar and Jay Nichols, drums.

Yonnet invited his friends from Paris to help cook up his version of Days of Wine and Roses. Madagascan guitarist Michel Randrianarisoa, Senegalese percussionist Amadou N’Gome and Frenchman Patrick Ferbac combined shuffling, up-tempo workouts with African, Latin and European rhythms to give some “Afropean spice” to this jazz standard. 
Yonnet is fearless in his bluesy, high-energy and moving interpretation of the Billy Holiday classic God Bless the Child. He instrumentally croons the lyrics while organist Evans adds soul and bassist Dave Dyson carries the bottom.

The timing and carefree spirit of the originals tunes seem to salute Yonnet’s French Creole culture. Eden Legrand, starts slow and builds to an intense and funky groove, while ArtSpace 2.0 has a jazzy, reggae beat.  

The title for his first, self-produced sampler CD, titled, Blowing Your Mind in Every Key of the Harp! was inspired by audiences responses to Yonnet’s live recording of Amazing Grace, a soulfully paced, fearlessly improvised, spirit-filled blues.

“Amazing Grace was actually a ‘jam’ recorded live at a church in Los Angeles,” said Yonnet. “I’d never played with the musicians before but once we connected, it became very powerful.”

Unbeknownst to Yonnet, the song was recorded and, when amplified over the church speakers following the service, Yonnet was “double blessed” that the moment had been preserved. Amazing Grace prompted the sampler CD that was ultimately renamed and released as Front & Center. 

While Yonnet’s CDs are impressive, his live performances get all the praise.  Accompanied by a bass, guitar, drums and keyboard, Yonnet pushes even the most seasoned musicians with his endless energy and enthusiasm.

A multi-faceted performer with exceptionally strong stage presence, Yonnet totally engages the crowd with his warm spirit and playful musical banters with the other musicians. “I like to get the audience involved because I want them to have as much fun listening as I have playing.” said Yonnet.

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