I Speak Music - by Howard Levy (Paperback)

About the Book

Two-time GRAMMY(R) Award winner Howard Levy delivers a memoir as inventive and uncompromising as his music.

Book Synopsis

Two-time GRAMMY(R) Award winner Howard Levy delivers a musical memoir that will stop you in your tracks-bold, unpredictable, and as soulful as his playing. Having spent his life moving effortlessly through classical, blues, jazz, world music, rock, and pop, Howard tells his story from the rare vantage point of a musician who never fit into one category-and never wanted to.

Across 88 richly detailed stories told with warmth, humor, and cinematic clarity, Howard traces his improbable journey from Brooklyn to Chicago and onto the world stage-encompassing a lifetime of relentless curiosity, thousands of recording sessions, and collaborations with icons like Dolly Parton, Donald Fagen, John Prine, Kenny Loggins, Jack Bruce, and many more.

In a captivating writing style, Howard captures the full sweep of his musical life:

- Adventures in Recording: Hilarious, tense, and surprising moments drawn from thousands of studio sessions-from commercial jingles and film soundtracks to albums that derailed, exploded, or suddenly turned magical.

- Strange-but-True Encounters with Legends: From an impromptu encounter with Jaco Pastorius to helping recover Mercer Ellington's stolen bag, Howard revisits the chance meetings that left a lasting mark.

- New York to Chicago: Hair-raising New York episodes and the hard-earned Chicago years-factory jobs, pit orchestras, jazz clubs, and the strange twists of fate that launched his trajectory, building a foundation for everything that followed.

- Travels, Tours, and Total Chaos: From Taipei to Damascus, and all points in between, Howard shares the unpredictable and surreal highs and lows of a touring life lived without a safety net.

- Composing a Life in Music: Fascinating stories behind the pieces he composed, the ideas that surfaced unexpectedly, and the many breakthroughs-small and large-that sparked his evolution, and continue to shape and expand his musical language.

Prepare to be entertained, inspired, and surprised by a memoir that illuminates the world of music from the inside out-and invites you to come along on the serendipitous journey of a life devoted to sound.

Review Quotes

"How a snazzy pianist became the master of the hobo harmonica, an instrument the size of half a ham sandwich, and did impossible things on it, got to meet the greats, play the blues, Puccini, the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, and made friends and found peace of mind."

-Garrison Keillor

Author and host of A Prairie Home Companion

"Of course we know that Howard Levy does the impossible on the standard diatonic "blues harp" harmonica, and is also a terrific pianist. But with this book, now we also know that he is an engaging writer who has led a fascinating life. This memoir is candid, fun to read, and personal-it's not only about his career. At the same time, you'll enjoy learning about how he developed his famous harmonica techniques, while Jerry Garcia, Dolly Parton, Tito Puente, Donald Fagen, Kenny Loggins, Paquito D'Rivera and others, famous and otherwise, waltz through these pages. Enjoy!"

-Lewis Porter

Jazz pianist, author of Playback on Substack and John Coltrane: His Life and Music

"Harmonica virtuoso Howard Levy has been on one incredible journey in his lifetime. In his thoughtful memoir, I Speak Music, he takes us along on the ride... Interspersed with riveting tales of the road, this detailed travelogue is a comprehensive compendium of memories that Levy has compiled after his 74 years on the planet. What a great read!"

-Bill Milkowski

Jazz journalist, author of Jaco: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius

"To call Howard Levy 'one of a kind' is to understate the math. He is unique, completely and absolutely. A musical master on both piano and harmonica. In this book, Howard takes us on his journey through music. He started as I did, with early piano lessons. The difference: he practiced. Actually, the difference was that he's a preternaturally musical person, fascinated by instruments, styles, techniques. It's a journey well worth sharing."

-Harry Shearer

Actor, author, musician, voice of The Simpsons and star of