The harmonica is a portable, inexpensive and versatile introduction to music-making. It also has an honoured place in the repertoire of every kind of professional music, from country to classical. The author explores the history of the instrument and the styles, techniques and unique sounds of individual players, including the great soloist Larry Adler, bluesman Little Walter Jacobs, folk-music star Sonny Terry, the soulful Stevie Wonder, and many others.
| |||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
The Encyclopaedia Britannica of the harmonica (Larry Adler )
An unassuming and enexpectedly delightful as potent blues rising suddenly from a pair of cracked, cupped hands....A loving celebration both of the players and of their instrument (Billboard )
Highly enjoyable and informative....Well-written. (Living Blues )
Interesting and thoroughly researched....An essential volume for players, scholars, and fans alike. Field's writing style provides an easy read and his command of the field is unparalleled. (Blues Review Quarterly )
The first book to qualify as a definitive history of the harmonica and its place in American music....Excellent. (Country Music Magazine ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
An unassuming and enexpectedly delightful as potent blues rising suddenly from a pair of cracked, cupped hands....A loving celebration both of the players and of their instrument (Billboard )
Highly enjoyable and informative....Well-written. (Living Blues )
Interesting and thoroughly researched....An essential volume for players, scholars, and fans alike. Field's writing style provides an easy read and his command of the field is unparalleled. (Blues Review Quarterly )
The first book to qualify as a definitive history of the harmonica and its place in American music....Excellent. (Country Music Magazine ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
East Meets c h a p t e r o n e West `s musical instruments go, the harmonica is a new thing. Its bicentennial is still decades away. We have the Germans to thank for it (as for the bassoon, the flute, and the clarinet).
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A definite must-have book for harmonica players!,
This review is from: Harmonicas, Harps and Heavy Breathers: The Evolution of the People's Instrument (Paperback)
Mr. Field has written a book that no self-respecting harmonica should miss. It gives a comprehensive overview of the harmonica's rich and illustrious history. I learned more from a single reading about my instrument and it's players, than I did in the previous twenty years. Mr. Field should be applauded for a most outstanding effort.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Accomplished Work,
By
This review is from: Harmonicas, Harps and Heavy Breathers: The Evolution of the People's Instrument (Paperback)
Hats off to Kim Field! This is a great book and a much needed one. His excellent research is augmented with great writing. Every harp player in the land should own one.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive, often surprising, highly enjoyable,
By Richard Hunter (richard.hunter@snet.net) (Monroe, CT, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers: The History of the Harmonica and Its Role in American Music (Paperback)
"Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers" is a comprehensive, authoritative, well-written examination of the harmonica's role in musical culture. The author seems to have heard and understood the work of every major harmonica player of this century and many of the lesser-known ones, regardless of style or idiom. The book surprises us often simply by reminding us of the ubiquity of the instrument, as when the author points out that 3 of the Beatles's earliest hits featured harmonica prominently. The book is heavily illustrated with photos. It is likely to serve as the standard reference for its subject for years to come. Anyone who wants to learn about the traditions of harmonica music should have a copy.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Listmania!
|
|
