Rating: 
Summary: Could not finish it
Review: As important as Little Walter was, he was done a disservice by the authors (three of them!) of this book. I'm a blues enthusiast, so I really looked forward to this. But the over-analysis of every song (released and unreleased, including all takes on the reel) and the constant assumptions based on obscure sources like gig posters (his name was misspelled! gasp!) and singles charts ("such and such guy was on the radio, so Walter surely heard him while in St. Louis and was therefore influenced...").I read about 100 pages, and Blues with a Feeling lacked just that: feeling. It was like reading a college textbook. Greatly disappointing. Blues fans should instead seek out titles such as I Am the Blues (Willie Dixon), Can't Be Satisfied (Muddy Waters, of course), or Blues All Around Me (BB King).
Rating: 
Summary: One of the Best Books on Blues
Review: I grew up in Memphis TN not too far a city known for its blues. The little Walter story reminded me of what life was like in the pre civil rights South. The book also shows us how important the blues are to American culture. The Little Walter story is a must for anyone with even the slightest interest in American music.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Books on Blues
Review: I grew up in Memphis TN not too far a city known for its blues. The little Walter story reminded me of what life was like in the pre civil rights South. The book also shows us how important the blues are to American culture. The Little Walter story is a must for anyone with even the slightest interest in American music.
Rating:
Summary: Book With A Feeling
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: Book With A Feeling
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating ...
Review: I have been a Little Walter fan for many years. It's apparent that Tony Glover and his co-authors are, too. They have done a wonderful job of researching Walter's life and telling his story. I also learned a lot about Walter's contemporaries, like Jimmy Rogers and Muddy Waters (to name but a few). And, I have new respect for Leonard Chess, who helped create the Chicago blues sound, and who nurtured those who played it. The discography at the end of the book was very useful to me.
What would make the book better? It would be an accompanying boxed set of CDs with most of the tracks listed in the discography. I have put together my own set of about 50 of them.
Congratulations to the authors.
Rating: 
Summary: Painful
Review: I really looked forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, it is virtually un-readable. There is little insight into the personality of Walter or the times and places he lived. One may say the book is well-researched, but one may also say the authors are [nitpicky]. The book gets bogged down in minutiae such as documenting each take Walter ever recorded and detials right down when, during a recording he changed harps. Sometimes very interesting, but ulimately this over-load of detail makes the book very dry and difficult to read.
Rating:
Summary: Painful
Review: I really looked forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, it is virtually un-readable. There is little insight into the personality of Walter or the times and places he lived. One may say the book is well-researched, but one may also say the authors are [nitpicky]. The book gets bogged down in minutiae such as documenting each take Walter ever recorded and detials right down when, during a recording he changed harps. Sometimes very interesting, but ulimately this over-load of detail makes the book very dry and difficult to read.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly well researched, a must read for music fans
Review: The amount of newly uncovered research (and photos) in this biography of the most important blues harp player ever is astounding. Little Walter, for all of his fame in the blues field, was somewhat of a shadowy figure when it came to the facts of his life. No more. This richly detailed portrait leaves no stone unturned, no aspect of his life unexamined, all without ever falling into the trap of being a gushing fan tribute. An outstanding introduction to the man and his music, and long time fans of Little Walter and the blues in general will find themselves returning to this book over time just to reimmerse in the world of the blues. Other reviwers have said to put on some Little Walter music while reading this book to hear it in a whole new light. I second the motion!
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly well researched, a must read for music fans
Review: The amount of newly uncovered research (and photos) in this biography of the most important blues harp player ever is astounding. Little Walter, for all of his fame in the blues field, was somewhat of a shadowy figure when it came to the facts of his life. No more. This richly detailed portrait leaves no stone unturned, no aspect of his life unexamined, all without ever falling into the trap of being a gushing fan tribute. An outstanding introduction to the man and his music, and long time fans of Little Walter and the blues in general will find themselves returning to this book over time just to reimmerse in the world of the blues. Other reviwers have said to put on some Little Walter music while reading this book to hear it in a whole new light. I second the motion!
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