The harmonica is one of the most important, yet overlooked, instruments in music. This definitive volume celebrates the history of the world's most popular musical device, its impact on various forms of music, folk, country, blues, rock, jazz and classical music. The author traces the development of the harmonica from the ancient Chinese sheng to futuristic harmonica sythesizers. Nearly seventy harmonica masters are profiled including Stevie Wonder, Little Walter, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Reed, Charlie McCoy, Sonny Terry, and John Popper. This updated edition includes an extensive new afterword, an expanded discography of the finest harmonica recordings, and a listing of the best harmonica resources on the internet.
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Editorial Reviews
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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 )
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 )
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).
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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.
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