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| Now available on amazon.com: The Updated Edition of Kim Field’s Best-Selling Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers: The Evolution of the People’s Instrument 
Announcing the publication of a new, updated,
and expanded edition of the first—and only—in-depth look
at the history of the world’s most popular instrument
“A must for all ‘harp’ fans.'”—Charlie McCoy
“The Encyclopaedia Britannica of the harmonica.”—Larry Adler
“This remarkable book is the best tool for the harmonica player outside of the instrument itself.”—Magic Dick
Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers charts in loving detail the influence of the harmonica
on all forms of American music: blues, country, jazz, rock and roll, pop, soul, and even classical.
Field traces the development of the harmonica from the ancient Chinese sheng to the
universally popular Hohner Marine Band to futuristic harmonica synthesizers.
Included are profiles of—and, in many cases, personal interviewers with—
nearly 70 harmonica masters, including:
Little Walter Jacobs
Jerry Murad and the Harmonicats Kim Wilson
Stevie Wonder DeFord Bailey Borrah Minevitch and the Harmonica Rascals James Cotton Junior Wells Bob Dylan Jerry Murad Paul Butterfield Larry Adler Charlie Musselwhite Charles Leighton
Jimmy Reed Lee Oskar Jean "Toots" Thielemans Jerry Portnoy
Charlie McCoy Mickey Raphael Magic Dick Lee Oskar Wayne Raney Rice Miller Walter Horton John Popper
Jimmy Reed Sonny Terry Howard Levy Tommy Reilly Slim Harpo
This new, updated edition includes a new epilogue, an expanded discography of the
finest harmonica recordings, and a listing of the best harmonica resources on the Internet.
368 pages, 40 photographs on glossy paper
Published by Cooper Square Press
Critical praise for Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers
"A book as unassuming and unexpectedly delightful as a potent blues rising suddenly from a pair of cracked, cupped hands . . . A loving celebration both of the players and of their instrument . . . Included are masters from all musical disciplines, and from past and present alike, as well as a closing discography of some of their seminal recordings. Like the singular instrument it details, Harmonicas, Harps and Heavy Breathers has a quiet charm that could be overlooked among its flashier brethren. It's worth looking for." --Billboard "The first book to qualify as a definitive history of the harmonica and its place in American music . . . Excellent . . . Field, a harp player himself, has both the expertise and writing skills to pull this off." --Country Music Magazine "The definitive volume on the harmonica, which may be the definitive American instrument . . . Field's real accomplishment as an author, however, may lie in his exhaustive study of intrinsically American musical forms . . . The characters in Field's book tell endless tales of the instrument's adaptability." --Jim Kelton, L.A. Times Syndicate "A highly enjoyable and informative book . . . It's especially valuable to have a book written by someone who is himself a musician. Field's knowledge of the various styles and terms is helpful; best of all is his ability to write about them in straightforward English. No arcana here, just a well-writen, easy-to-read picture of the 'little instrument.' Great photos, too." --Living Blues Magazine "Kim Field has filled an enormous gap in the literature of the harmonica . . . It will be the reference book, for decades to come, on American harmonica history, styles and players. If you're at all interested in the harmonica, this belongs on your shelf as essential reading . . . Field brings considerable authority and detail to his well-researched account . . . No matter how much you know about harmonica history or artists, I guarantee you will learn something from this book." --HIP (Harmonica International Publication "Finally, a book that addresses the people's instrument . . . An interesting and thoroughly researched book . . . The sections on the country, folk, classical, and jazz harp blowers are the best ever collected . . . Everything you ever wanted to know about the harmonica . . . An essential volume for players, scholars and fans alike. Field's writing style provides an easy reaad and his command of the field is unparalleled." --Blues Revue Quarterly "Outstanding . . . A fascinating read for anyone with even the slightest interest in American musica and its development, and, to harmonica players and blues harp fans, essential . . . A fact-crammed, thorough and accurate account of the harmonica's history . . . A fun, inspirational, and sometimes astonishing read." --Southland Blues "When you have the combination of an excellent writer and a subject for which that writer has a passion, you can hardly go wrong . . . A loving account of the harmonica's history . . . Required reading for all practictioners of the mouth organ, and interesting as well for those who just like to hear harmonica music." --Blue Suede News "A great book . . . the harmonica Bible . . . Your knowledge and understanding of the harmonica will increase a thousandfold . . . Not until now has the rich lore of the harmonica been revealed in such exciting prose and fact. You will re-read again and again . . . A breath of fresh air that will become a best-seller classic . . . Long needed by harmonica players of all bents, blows, or draws." --The American Harmonica Newsletter "The book we've all been waiting for . . . Finally someone has written a book to please harmonica players and enthusiasts alike! . . . Field has compiled a collection of interviews, photographs and historical information guaranteed to satisfy all of those people . . . Factual, yet warm and highly entertaining . . . This book is destined to become every harmonica player's Bible for many years to come." --Harmonica Happenings
From reader reviews on Amazon.com:
"I've been writing about music for newspapers and magazines for 25 years, as a sidelight to my job as a journalist, and I'm in awe of the job Field has done with this book. It's exquisitely written and packed with entertaining information. The 20th century harmonica world was populated by all manner of rascals, hobos, eccentrics and maestros (often all wrapped up in the same person), and Field tells their stories in a clean, organised fashion that captures the magic while never resorting to sentiment or hyperbole. While it's very much a book for harmonica nuts, I've been reading plenty of laugh-out-loud sections to my partner, whose passion is more in the classical piano mold. Over the years I've collected a number of compilations of obscure harp players, but they're not obscure anymore. Having them expertly set in the context of their colourful lives has made the listening immensely more rewarding. Bless you, Kim, for putting in the research in the nick of time, before many of these people were dead and unable to speak for themselves. And bless you for your highly professional yet heartfelt approach."
"I found this to be a very enjoyable read and was disappointed when it was over. This should be recommended reading for anyone who plays or is a fan of the harmonica."
"Very inspirational to me and others who keep trying to swipe my copy. This is so well written and organized that I keep reading much of it over and over again. It is one of those books that you savior every word. It is very inexpensive for such a valuable, meaty, entertaining resource. Mr. Field, thank you for this tremendous read."
"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."
"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."
"Generations of harmonica players waited for this superb book. Nothing like it existed until its first publication and now it has been republished (thank you Cooper Square). It is certain to become a classic. Field is a wonderful writer with a great eye for detail and a journalists instinct for interviewing his subjects. To some the harmonica hardly qualifies as a musical instrument, but to millions of others blowing into the pocket-sized "tin sandwich" is the breath of life. Field's book can leave no doubt that the harmonica is a serious instrument on which one can make great art. From the Grand Old Opry to Carnegie Hall, from Little Walter the pioneer of amplified blues harmonica to country great Charlie McCoy to classical concert musician John Sebastian (Sr.), Field covers them all with zest and style. Let us hope it stays in print for many years."
"'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."
"This intelligent, playful journey through the life of the harmonica is a joy. Mr. Field shows us, with great love and respect, the history of the instrument, and introduces us to the many who have mastered it and given it the lofty perch in the music world it so richly deserves. This book is a must for anyone even remotely interested in the harmonica, and those in that number are growing, world wide, every day."
"Rarely has any instrument been given the treatment Fields provides: A panoramic look at the history of the harmonica as well as the great players from all musical categories--classical to jazz to rock--who have helped make it famous. Fields detailed biographies of great harmoinca players like John Sebastian Sr., Larry Adler, Sonny Terry, Sonny Boy Williamson, Paul Butterfield and others are unmatched, and his wonderful overview of the great harmonica bands of the early twentieth century collects stories and history neverbefore recounted. Sought after by ever growing legions of harmonica players, this book is also a terrific read for anyone interested in American music in the twentieth century."
"Fields' (sic) book, in addition to being very well written and well researched, covers much more ground that its title might imply. Although this book DOES cover the history of the blues harmonica very comprehensively, it also explores other genres of music and the harmonica's role in them. Along the way, seemingly disparate musical styles are linked and the reader is made aware of a number of excellent musicians who have been somewhat marginalized or unfairly overlooked. By itself, this book is a rewarding reading experience. However, those readers who follow some of Fields' leads and actually listen to the music of some of the book's more obscure subjects will be further enriched."
"I keep my copy on my desk at all times, as it is an excellent reference 'bible' that I find invaluable when doing research. It is well-written, as both a historical record of facts, and is great reading for anyone who wants to settle down with "a good book" for an evening of entertaining reading. I am fortunate to have an autographed copy that I treasure, but am concerned that I will soon wear it out with use."
"Kim Field has written the definitive book for all harmonica enthusiasts. If you only have one book on harmonica, this should be the one."
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