Washingtonian Magazine: Showstoppers
Frédéric Yonnet
by Susan Davidson and Leslie Milk | Washingtonian Magazine | October 1, 2008
The Mick Jagger of the harmonica
The importance of the harmonica can’t be fully appreciated without Frédéric Yonnet. He’s been called both the Mick Jagger and the Jimi Hendrix of the harmonica. A showman and crowd pleaser, Yonnet is reshaping the perception of the harmonica as a side instrument.
Born in France, Yonnet initially set out to be a drummer, but he wanted something more portable. “I had to pick an instrument that could fit in my pocket,” he says.
His roots are steeped in jazz, where legends are largely defined by their leading instrument—think Charlie “Bird” Parker and his saxophone. Yonnet has sought to fill a void with the harmonica. “There is a lot of room to grow in the instrument,” says the 35-year-old Yonnet, who lives on Capitol Hill. “What I’m trying to do is extend people’s perception of the harmonica.”
Spreading the word is also his job as in-house artist for Harmonic[Art]—a local program funded in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and dedicated to teaching the harmonica and promoting its musical contributions.
Before a Washington Wizards game in April, Yonnet electrified the Verizon Center crowd with his rendition of the national anthem. He recently recorded tracks for Prince and dueled with fellow virtuoso Stevie Wonder. It’s no wonder he says that every stop in his schedule these days is becoming a highlight of his career.
—Matt Carr
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