Whenever you hear the prevalent wailing blues harmonica in commercials, film soundtracks or at a blues club, you are experiencing the legacy of the master harmonica player, Little Walter. Immensely popular in his lifetime, Little Walter had fourteen Top 10 hits on the R&B charts, and he was also the first Chicago blues musician to play at the Apollo. Ray Charles and B.B. King, great blues artists in their own right, were honored to sit in with his band. However, at the age of 37, he lay in a pauper's grave in Chicago. This book will tell the story of a man whose music, life and struggles continue to resonate to this day.
Blues with a Feeling: The Little Walter Story
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Review
"Maybe the best book I've ever read concerning music or any music personality.."
-Blues Notes
"Indispensable.."
-The Times (London)
"Noted blues scholars...paint a picture of Walter as a fiery, independent soul.."
---Library Journal
"Given his standing in the world of blues, it's amazing that it has taken so long for an in-depth book on Marion Walter Jacobs to appear, but be in no doubt that the wait has been well worth it. Reading like a novel, but one which even Walter Mosley might have struggled to plot with credibility, the story of the ultimately deeply-troubled genius progenitor of contemporary blues harmonica is unfolded in an enthralling manner by a triumvirate of authors notably well-qualified for the task."
-Bill Moodie, "Juke Blues(UK)
-Blues Notes
"Indispensable.."
-The Times (London)
"Noted blues scholars...paint a picture of Walter as a fiery, independent soul.."
---Library Journal
"Given his standing in the world of blues, it's amazing that it has taken so long for an in-depth book on Marion Walter Jacobs to appear, but be in no doubt that the wait has been well worth it. Reading like a novel, but one which even Walter Mosley might have struggled to plot with credibility, the story of the ultimately deeply-troubled genius progenitor of contemporary blues harmonica is unfolded in an enthralling manner by a triumvirate of authors notably well-qualified for the task."
-Bill Moodie, "Juke Blues(UK)
About the Author
Tony Glover has been a professional musician/writer since 1962. He is the author of a best-selling guide to playing the blues harmonica, in continuous print for over 4 decades. He has performed in a legendary blues trio with "Spider" John Koerner and Dave Ray off and on since the 1960s. He lives in St. Paul, MN. Ward Gaines is a graphic designer, art restorer and professional musician, and is a noted writer and researcher on the blues. He lives in Washington, DC. Scott Dirks has written for blues magazines, hosted blues radio, produced blues recordings, and performed in blues bands over the last 20 years. He lives outside of Chicago, Illinois.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
The true circumstances of Little Walter's early life-of his birth, his family, and his upbringing-are cloaked in deep layers of myth and thick mists of time, more than for any other blues musician who reached his level of fame and prominence in the second half of the 20th century. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
The true circumstances of Little Walter's early life-of his birth, his family, and his upbringing-are cloaked in deep layers of myth and thick mists of time, more than for any other blues musician who reached his level of fame and prominence in the second half of the 20th century. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is the product of much in-depth research, almost boundless enthusiasm and a love for Blues music and particularly the music of the great Little Walter. I love it.
It tells the story of The Architect of Modern Blues with great finesse and passion and as far as I can see, leaves no question about its subject unanswered.
Above all, it achieves that which I think is a prerequisite for such a book - it sends the reader racing to the shelves of his or her music collection to discover anew the treasures within. In this case, it is the music of Little Walter, Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Jimmy Rogers, John Brim and many others who were associated with this most productive period of Blues music.
The music of Little Walter is still exerting a deep influence and his own recordings still sound fresh and vital today. Walter was, after all, the harmonica-playing equivalent of Charlie Parker, Django Reinhardt and Jimi Hendrix. This is not hyperbole; it's a fact!
It tells the story of The Architect of Modern Blues with great finesse and passion and as far as I can see, leaves no question about its subject unanswered.
Above all, it achieves that which I think is a prerequisite for such a book - it sends the reader racing to the shelves of his or her music collection to discover anew the treasures within. In this case, it is the music of Little Walter, Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Jimmy Rogers, John Brim and many others who were associated with this most productive period of Blues music.
The music of Little Walter is still exerting a deep influence and his own recordings still sound fresh and vital today. Walter was, after all, the harmonica-playing equivalent of Charlie Parker, Django Reinhardt and Jimi Hendrix. This is not hyperbole; it's a fact!
7 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By Graham
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The book is packed with detailed information on the life and recordings of the great harmonica player, but perhaps this is it’s greatest failing. It is certainly not an easy read and reminds me of some of the first books that I read on blues that were great to pick up, but not so much fun to read. At times I found it both repetitive and difficult to follow, as the authors jumped from one idea to the next and for this reason it also fails as a reference book. My conclusion: great research; poor writing.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.6 out of 5 stars
18 reviews
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must-Read for Any and All Blues Harp Enthusiasts!
25 Aug 2002
By D. A. Martin
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Those of us into blues harmonica know that Little Walter is the father of this musical genre. Although he was not necessarily the first to put harp to mic to amplifier (I believe Snooky Pryor was many years before), Little Water undoubtedly revolutionized how amplified blues harp was played, then and now. He turned the harmonica - a simple pocket instrument that many musicians didn't take seriously - into a musical force that Muddy Waters pianist Otis Spann called "the mother of the band." As a budding harp player, I do not consider any band a true BLUES BAND if it doesn't have a harmonica player at the forefront (as opposed to the background). We who follow blues music have Marion "Little Walter" Jacobs to thank for that.
This book is a must-have for any and all blues harmonica enthusiasts. As with Robert Gordon's recent Muddy Waters bio "Can't Be Satisfied," the authors of "Blues With A Feeling" lay out in brilliant detail, from painstaking research and interviews with family, friends and associates, Walter's life in ways many had never been privy to. Just as his musical ability made him famous, his quick temper, heavy drinking and overall reckless lifestyle, unfortunately, led to his eventual, yet far too early demise.
If you really want to understand the man, myth, icon, and human being that was, is and will always be Little Walter, then buy this book.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Book About A Great Musician
26 Nov 2002
By Frederick J. Decker
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Whether you are familiar with Little Walter's wonderful music, or not this is a great book that will make any reader appreciate Little Walter even more. For a treat, listen to the songs described in the book as you read. The authors point out fascinating insights on many songs, including how Little Walter changed harmonicas and where in each song he changed them. They even explain what keys each harmonica was in. Little Walter deliberately changed harmonicas in mid song to make his records harder for other harp players to copy. Even if you don't play the harmonica, just listen to each song as the authors talk about it and be amazed at how brilliant Walter was.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Book With A Feeling
22 Aug 2002
By D. B. Phillips
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
I have been a fan of, and musically influenced by, Tony Glover and his partners Dave Ray and John Koerner since the mid-sixties. I am also an avid reader of biographies of musicians. I also have a pretty good collection of Little Walter vinyl and have anxiously awaited this book since I first heard about it being in the works.
Talk to a blues fan and Little Walter is usually the first name you will hear mentioned when harp players are discussed. He is, as the book says, to blues harp what Jimi Hendrix was to the electric guitar. But precious little has been revealed about the man himself besides what his unique and innovative music could tell us. This book rectifies that in an outstanding manner.
From the beginning it is obvious that this subject has been painstakingly researched by authors who love the blues and blues people. The book contains almost more names and connections in the weaving and intertwining of the musicians and their music than one can readily digest. It sent me to my record collection dozens of times resulting in new revelations as I listened with a fresh perspective.
One of the finest musical biographies I have read. I could smell the 'fragrance' of the streets, feel the pounding of feet in the clubs, hear the grittiness of the little tube amps, and feel the joy and desperation of the musicians.
A terrific must-read for anyone who loves the blues.
And some great photos too!
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4.6 out of 5 stars
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