"He's beyond influential...You know, there's the before and after Howard, in terms of the diatonic harmonica." - Adam Gussow, editor of Modern Blues Harmonica

There is a revolution happening in the world of harmonica, and it’s all because of Howard Levy. For Howard’s online students at ArtistWorks this is nothing new, but this piece is a great introduction for anyone not familiar with how he single-handedly discovered the overblow technique back in the 70s, which allows him to play diatonic harmonica like a chromatic instrument. With this incredible innovation, he has permanently altered the history of this unique instrument and influenced countless players for years to come. 

Also featured are Brendan Power, Adam Gussow, and two of Howard's students from ArtistWorks! Listen on the player above or click here to read more from NPR.