Harmonicas were commonly called “French harps” or “mouth organs” and mountain men played them superbly. Some still do, though such old-fashioned music is not nearly as common as it was before and ...

“Classic Harmonica Blues,” out on May 21, features 20 tracks by the blues’ greatest harmonica players. Photo courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings In the early 20th-century, southern black ...