Harmonicas, Harps and Heavy Breathers: The Evolution of the People's Instrument
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.89 (734 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0815410204 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 370 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-12-16 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Joyce D said Best Reference Book On Harmonica EVER. This book is a fascinating read for anyone who's interested in life stories, and history. It will definitely hold your interest, and keep you coming back for reference each time you hear one of the players or songs covered in it's pages. The author's extensive knowledge of, and love for, his topic is infectious. If you like Blues, Folk, Jazz (even Classical) music, that features the harmonica, then you will LOVE this book. I bought my first copy in the early 199. I'm thankful for this book As a harmonica dabbler for most of my life -- and a more serious player for the last five years or so -- this book was a revelation, from the Asian roots of the instrument to the flood of German instruments to this country in the late 1800s and the early 1900s. I vaguely remember the Harmonicats-type groups from the Ed Sullivan-era variety shows of my youth. Now there's a context for them. I found more than I'd ever known about players I've known about forever (. Great Richard Taylor Kim Field is always hard at work informing folks about the joys of the harmonica. There are few harmonica reference books in this sense and Kim is always a great read. Buyers should check out the Little Walter story Kim collaborated in to, called Blues With A Feeling.
Field's writing style provides an easy read and his command of the field is unparalleled. 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. (Country Music Magazine) . (Living Blues)Interesting and thoroughly researched.An essential volume for players, scholars, and fans alike. (Blues Review Quarterly)The first book to qualify as a definitive history of the harmonica and its place in American music.Excellent
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.. 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 harmonica is one of the most important, yet overlooked, instruments in music
. Field has played the harmonica for more than two decades in various bands on both coasts