Man Bites Harmonica!
title: "Man Bites Harmonica!" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1958-albums", "toots-thielemans-albums", "albums-produced-by-orrin-keepnews", "riverside-records-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_Bites_Harmonica!" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Man Bites Harmonica! |
| type | Studio |
| artist | Jean Thielemans |
| cover | Man Bites Harmonica!.jpg |
| released | 1958 |
| recorded | December 30, 1957 and January 7, 1958 |
| Reeves Sound Studios, New York City | |
| genre | Jazz |
| length | 38:25 |
| label | Riverside |
| RLP 12-257 | |
| producer | Orrin Keepnews |
| chronology | Toots Thielemans |
| prev_title | The Sound |
| prev_year | 1955 |
| next_title | The Whistler and His Guitar |
| next_year | 1964 |
| :: |
| name = Man Bites Harmonica! | type = Studio | artist = Jean Thielemans | cover = Man Bites Harmonica!.jpg | alt = | released = 1958 | recorded = December 30, 1957 and January 7, 1958 Reeves Sound Studios, New York City | venue = | studio = | genre = Jazz | length = 38:25 | label = Riverside RLP 12-257 | producer = Orrin Keepnews | chronology = Toots Thielemans | prev_title = The Sound | prev_year = 1955 | next_title = The Whistler and His Guitar | next_year = 1964
Man Bites Harmonica! is an album by harmonica player Jean "Toots" Thielemans which was recorded in late 1957 and early 1958 for the Riverside label. The album showcases the harmonica as an instrument in a similar way in which Miles Davis did throughout his career on the trumpet and Charlie Parker did with the saxophone. The harmonica only does not appear on one track, Thielemans' version of "Imagination".
Reception
| rev1 = Allmusic | rev1Score = Allmusic awarded the album 4½ stars. In his review, Scott Yanow states "Even four decades later, no jazz harmonica player has dethroned the great Toots".
Track listing
All compositions by Toots Thielemans except as indicated
- "East of the Sun" (Brooks Bowman) - 7:14
- "Don't Blame Me" (Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh) - 2:27
- "18th Century Ballroom" (Ray Bryant) - 3:46
- "Soul Station" - 6:58
- "Fundamental Frequency" - 4:54
- "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" (Lil Hardin Armstrong, Don Raye) - 4:30
- "Imagination" (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) - 4:27
- "Isn't It Romantic?" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) - 5:16
- Recorded at Reeves Sound Studios in New York City on December 30, 1957 (tracks 1, 3-6 & 8) and January 7, 1958 (tracks 2 & 7)
Personnel
- Jean "Toots" Thielemans - harmonica, guitar
- Pepper Adams - baritone saxophone (1, 3–6, 8)
- Kenny Drew - piano
- Wilbur Ware - bass
- Art Taylor - drums
References
References
- [http://www.jazzdisco.org/riverside-records/catalog-200-series/#rlp-12-257 Riverside Records discography] accessed September 14, 2012
- (2020). "BELGIUM: Man Bites Harmonica - Toots Thielemans".
- Yanow, S. [http://www.allmusic.com/album/man-bites-harmonica-mw0000207130 Allmusic Review] accessed September 14, 2012
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