John Sebastian
John Sebastian (born John Sebastian Pugliese; April 25, 1914 − August 18, 1980) was an American musician and composer known as a master of the classical chromatic harmonica. He was the first harmonicist to adopt an all-classical repertoire and, along with Larry Adler and Tommy Reilly, established the harmonica as a serious instrument for classical music. In addition to performing, Sebastian increased the range of classical music available for the harmonica by transcribing numerous existing classical works for the harmonica, composing works of his own, and commissioning or otherwise encouraging other composers to write for the instrument. He is the father of singer-songwriter John B. Sebastian, a founder of the popular 1960s folk rock band The Lovin' Spoonful. |
Birth and Death Data: Born April 25, 1914 (Philadelphia), Died August 18, 1980 (Périgord)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1946 - 1947
Roles Represented in DAHR: harmonica, composer
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | D6VB-2834 | 10-in. | 9/9/1946 | Ritual fire dance | John Sebastian | Harmonica solo, with piano | instrumentalist, harmonica | |
| Victor | D6VB-2835 | 10-in. | 9/9/1946 | Moroccan serenade | John Sebastian | Harmonica solo | instrumentalist, harmonica, composer | |
| Victor | D6VB-2836 | 10-in. | 9/9/1946 | Inca dance | John Sebastian | Harmonica solo, with drums | instrumentalist, harmonica, composer | |
| Victor | PD6VB-2837 | 10-in. | 9/10/1946 | The harmonica player | John Sebastian | Harmonica solo, with orchestra | instrumentalist, harmonica | |
| Victor | PD6VB-2838 | 10-in. | 9/10/1946 | Malaguena | John Sebastian | Harmonica solo, with orchestra | instrumentalist, harmonica | |
| Victor | PD6VB-2839 | 10-in. | 9/10/1946 | Stompe a la Turca (with apologies to Mozart) | John Sebastian | Harmonica solo, with orchestra | instrumentalist, harmonica | |
| Victor | PD6VB-2840 | 10-in. | 9/10/1946 | Aria | John Sebastian | Harmonica solo, with string orchestra | instrumentalist, harmonica | |
| Victor | D7VB-0299 | 10-in. | 5/14/1947 | Song of the black swan | John Sebastian | Harmonica solo, with piano | instrumentalist, harmonica |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Sebastian, John," accessed September 23, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/359023.
Sebastian, John. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved September 23, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/359023.
"Sebastian, John." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 23 September 2023.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: John Sebastian (classical harmonica player)
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Sebastian, John, 1916-1980 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n87914496
Wikidata: John Sebastian (classical harmonica player) - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q20679336
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/38446667
ISNI: 0000 0000 5936 6315 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000059366315
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