Part 1
The Story of
Little Walter
Little Walter was quite simply the best blues
harmonica player of all-time. And the most
influential. Neil Slaven looks afresh at the life
and work of this enigmatic introvert who did so
much to transform the post-war blues scene.
IT IS DIFFICULT to approach the subject of
Little Walter, his abilities and his subsequent
influence without amassing paragraphs of super-
latives; strings of words as unenligh tening as
they are undescriptive of the man and his music.
But for someone as important and accomplished
as Little Walter he has been poorly served by
writers in comparison to his contemporaries and
oddly enough itself has devoted remarkably
little space to him over a hundred issues. Many
times he ismentioned, discussed or eulogised in
interviews and articles, but seldom has he been
the subject of detailed analysis. Published inter-
views are few and far between and mostly
sketchy affairs, for Walter was a taciturn albeit
friendly man, difficult to know and reluctant to
reveal much of his life. Years of the best success,
a blues singer can expect followed. by years of
decline, his self-professed genius now an inter-
mittent gift marred by a violent pride which
scorned musicians and audie.nces that could not
accompany or appreciate his remaining exper-
tise; all this sent Walter on a downward spiral,
diminishing regard diminishing the desire to
perform, to impress, until an arbitrary act of
violence brought on a fatal thrombosis. Time
and again, and not just in the blues field, the
greatest artists seem destined to seek their own
destruction; not content with a lifelong com-
petence, all their energies are concentrated in
one sustained burst of creation after which the
very urges which forced their talent systemati-
cally destroy it. Little Walter indisputably revo-
lutionised harmonica technique,providing a
thrilling counterpoint to the best records by
Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Leroy Foster,
Floyd Jones and others; he went on to reveal a
unique and individual songwriting talent; but
perhaps his finest achievements are the many
instrumentals which provide a permanent testa-
ment of and memorial to his talent. Why though,
do we laud the artist without knowing theman?
Having asked the question, it is necessary to
flesh out the years before Walter arrived in
Chicago to become an indispensible member of
the seminal group of musicians who were gather-
ing arou~d Muddy Waters. Luckily, t.hough .
Walter himself was seldom forthcommg, he IS
remembered by many other musicians who saw
him during the four or five years of travelling
which took him from New Orleans at the age of
twelve to Chicago, an experienced and already
ta.lented teenager. Marion Walter Jacobs was
born in Marksville, Louisiana on May I, 1930
(or May 2, 1931 according to the information
on his death certificate given by his sister Mrs.
Sylvia Williams). Marksville is about twenty five
miles south-east of Alexandria, which Walter
claimed in many interviews as his hometown;
perhaps this indicates a move soon after his
birth by his parents Adams and Beatrice Jacob's.
By his own admission he became interested in
the harmonica when he was about eight years
old; at first he was attracted by the sound, but
his persistence to learn was encouraged by the
attempts of his friends and his mother to
dissuade him from playing it. His first influences
were the records of John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Wil-
liamson and a white hillbilly harmonica player
who performed at local parties. Walter would
try to imitate him, acquiring a large and varied
repertoire of jigs and popular tunes. Maybe it
was the family dissatisfaction with his har-
monica playing or as he said, the fact that there
was nothing but French music to be heard
around Alexandria; whatever the reason, Walter
left his home at the tender but intrepid age of
twelve. H~ tfa~elle~ south to New Orleans where
he claims to have played in several clubs, though
it i, more reasonable to assume that a large part
of his playing was on the streets, as it was to be
when he first arrived in Chicago. His stay in
. New Orleans was brief and a likely return home
was quickly followed by another trip, this time
north to Monroe, La., where he worked in the
Liberty Inn.
Again his stay was of a fairly short duration.
and Walter's next move took him out of his
home state to Helena, Arkansas, a city bustling
with musicians both resident and passing
through, all drawn by the possibility of broad-
casting over Sta tion KFF A, the most influential
radio station in the South. Here Walter was to
meet several of the men he would work and
record with later in Chicago. Here too it is quite
likely that he first really began to play blues
music. A young Jimmy Rogers first met an even
younger Walter hanging around the musicians
who variously made up the King Biscuit Boys;
5

Honeyboy Edwards (Bill Greensmith}
Robert Jr. Lockwood, Houston Stackhouse.
JQe Willie Wilkins, Joe Willie 'Pinetop' Perkins,
James 'Peck' Curtis, W.C. Clay, Robert 'Dudlow'
Taylor, and especially Rice Mil1er. Rogers tells
of Walter waiting for the time when the lure of
the crap table would draw 'Sonny Boy' off the
stand, so that Walter could take up his harp and
sit in with the band. Walter admitted to Mike
Leadbitter that Mil1erhad taught him a lot
about blues harmonica technique, and a phrase
or two was destined to appear on record a
decade later. The bond between the older man
and the young boy was considerably streng-
thened after 'Sonny Boy' saved Walter's life by
intervening when a woman tried to knife him in
a West Helena joint. Evidently, violence and the
ability to attract it had already become an essen-
tial part of Walter's volatile temperament. Life
for the teenager was certainly not easy; Houston
Stackhouse tells of Walter being forced to sleep
on crap tables, accepting the occasional meal
and pack of cigarettes from his more fortunate
acquaintances.
Things gradually began to improve as Walter
was accepted into the "KFFA bunch". He
played with Houston Stackhouse in and around
Helena, crossing into Mississippi to play at ' light of day on George Paulus's Barrelhouse
Henry Hill's roadhouse on the outskirts of Lyon,
and at Helena Crossing, where Walter apparently
drew larger crowds (and sold more whiskey)
than 'Sonny Boy'. Obviously with this sort of
popularity it was purely a matter of time before
Walter got on to a radio show. and in 1945 he
and Dudlow Taylor took over the Mother's Best
Flour Show on KFFA. The show went out at
11.15 am, an hour before King Biscuit Time,
and had featured Robert Nighthawk during
1944, and Robert Jr. and James Starkey the
year before that. Here again, Walter proved his
popularity by an increasing amount of requests
which he and Dudlow received through the mail,
outdoing the King Biscuit Boys. As with the
King Biscuit Boys, the performers on Mother's
Best would sometimes be augmented or replaced
depending.on who was in town. One addition
was David 'Honeyboy' Edwards who was based
in St. Louis but made frequent excursions
throughout Mississippi and Arkansas. Whilst in
Helena he would probably recommend the St.
Louis music scene to Walter for, sometime in
late 1946 or early 1947, he took off again for
the North.
The stay in St.Louis lasted about eigh t
months and amongst others, Walter played with
Honeyboy and fellow guitarist James DeShay,
who subsequently went on to become the owner
of two night clubs and an important employer
for other musicians, arranging gigs around S1,
6
Louis and East St. Louis and as Jar south as While he was away, Jimmy Rogers men-
Forrest City, Arkansas. Two other young musi- tioned his name to Muddy Waters, with whom
cians he met in St. Louis were Leroy Foster and he had formed a new band. Rogers had settled
Johnnie Jones, who had been trekking up from in Chicago three years earlier in '1945 and had
Mississippi the hard way ,earning enough money played in bands with Claude· 'Blue Smitty'
at odd jobs to pay the train fare to the next Smith and Sunnyland Slim. During the day he
large town. Foster and Jones were intent on worked at a radio company .and there became
making it to Chicago and Walter decided to join friendly with Jesse and Dan Jones who told him
them. Legend has it that they walked in, but as of their cousin who was returning to Chicago
this involves a journey of something oved50 after attending his grandmother's funeral. In
miles, it's more likely that they travelled as due time Muddy Waters and Rogers met and
before, stopping off to earn money on the way. began rehearsing at each other's homes as well
Jimmy Rogers confounds this story by asserting as working occasional gigs for other musicians,
that Sunnyland Slim brought Walter back from backing John Lee Williamson along with Sunny-
St. Louis in his car. Perhaps both stories are land Slim, with Rogers taking over the harmoni-
partly true, and Slim provided the lift for the ca when Sonny Boy got too drunk. At this time
last part of the journey. Muddy could only play open-ehord bottleneck
Living in Chicago was no easier and more guitar and so was confined to playingbass runs,
likely harder than it had been in Helena or St. leaving Rogers to play chorded rhythm. Smitty
Louis.Like many other musicians before him, helped teach Muddy some chords and the three
Walter made for Maxwell Street, where a man men began playing house parties with Jimmy
could earn eating money playing in the market Rogers on harmonica. They began to get club
streets. He got a room in a building belonging to dates as well, playing at the Purple Cat and the
Lazy Bill Lucas's father; a Jriendship with Lazy Flame Club, where the owner refused to allow a
Bill led to Walter meeting some of the other harmonica in, since a lot of clubs at that time
musicians who formed loose working bands for 'were hiring Charles Brown and Nat 'King' Cole
the street and for the many small clubs where imitators. After a while, Smitty began to prove
they went 'scabbing' for a few dollars in each unreliable and Leroy Foster came in on guitar
one. He met Johnny Williams, Johnny Young and sometimes drums. During this time Sunny-
and Moody Jones, who gave Walter some more land Slim took Muddy with him to record for
help with his guitar-playing which he had first Aristocrat and two titles by each man were
tried with Houston Stackhouse in Helena and recorded and released, with little result.
then Honeyboy Edwards in St. Louis. John Lee Walter returned to Chicago and Jimmy
Henley also remembers meeting.Walter as the Rogers took him around to meet Muddy. The
two followed their idol, John Lee 'Sonny Boy' three jammed together and Muddy was duly im-
Williamson around the clubs. One of the clubs pressed; in fact Rogers asserts that at the time
most frequented was the Purple Cat at 2119 they rated Walter second only to Rice Miller as
West Madison; Williamson, Tampa Red, Lee the best harmonica player. However his only
Brown, Snooky Pryor, Sunnyland. Slim, Home- trouble seemed to be that he was still not used
sick James. Johnnie Jones. and Muddy Waters all to the discipline of playing with a whole group
played there at various times. A group was of musicians. Jimmy Rogers claims that he and
formed with a nucleus of Johnny Williams and Muddy spent several months knocking Walter
Walter, augmented by Lazy Bill and Johnny into shape, and no doubt some re-education was
Young. Another guitarist wno.wasaround was necessary; but in my opinion, the most vital
Othum Brown, a shadowy figure remembered change in Walter's playing didn't come about
vaguely by several people, but whose main dis- until some three years later. In April 1948
tinction is that he backed Walter on his first Muddy had recorded a second time for Aristo-
recording and also recorded 'Ora Nelle Blues' crat, two titles were released and 'I Can't Be
which four years later turned up. as Jimmy Satisfied' became an immediate hit in Chiqago.
Rogers's 'That's All Right'. This record and one Straight away the group was in demand and
by Johnny Williams and Johnny Young formed with Jimmy Rogers doubling on guitar and har-
the total output of Ora Nelle Records, owned monica and Leroy Foster doubling on guitar and
by Bernard Abrahams of the Maxwell Radio drums, it was common sense to ask Walter to
Record Co. Other material was recorded but join them. The band were now appearing regu-
never released at the time, finally seeing the larly at the Du Drop Inn, the Club Zanzibar. the
Boogie Woogie Inn and the 708 Club. Sunny-
label. land Slim, the perennial record date fixer, arran-
Jimmy Rogers describes Walter's harmonica ged a session for Tempo Tone, a label owned by
playing at this time as 'a swinging sound' and one 'Big Earl' who ran a tavern at 301 Sacra-
that Walter was trying for a style which crossed mento. Four titles were released featuring
elements of Louis Jordan's saxophone sound Sunnyland, Floyd Jones, Leroy Foster, Muddy
with Rice Miller's style, Listening to 'I Just and Walter; the first issue featured two fine
Keep Loving Her', especially the slower alter- blues by Floyd Jones, but the other record, one
nate take, bears this out although the strongest side a chorus vocal and the other featuring
influence on this and both takes of 'Ora Nelle Walter, was a haphazard, lacklustre affair which
Blues' is John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson, soon disappeared.
Walter also backed Jimmy Rogerson his recor-
ding debut 'Little Store Blues', a version of
Sleepy John Estes's 'Licquor Store Blues'. Like
'1 Just Keep Loving Her' it is a country boogie
number ideal for dancing. As Mike Rowe points
out in 'Chicago Breakdown' these were probably
the first recordings in Chicago of the new
country blues artists, and it is important to see
these rough, vibrant performances alongside the
regimented sound of the recordings made by
Bluebird and Columbia at this time. It is also'
entirely appropriate that Little Walter should be
so prominently featured, since he was soon to
become a member of the group of musicians
who were to revitalise Chicago blues. In the
meantime, though, Walter's temper got the
better of him again and an argument between
him and Johnny Young on the bandstand led to
Walter being laid off by the owner of the Purple
Cat. With that he decided to leave Chicago and
returned to Helena for a few months.
 Muddy recorded again in the autumn of
1948 but still with only the accompaniment of
Memphis Slim's bass-player, Ernest 'Big' Craw-
ford. Looking back it seems odd that the Chess
brothers .should have persevered withthis policy
whim they obviously knew of Muddy's band;
but perhaps, then as now, a hit formula has to
be followed and at this time Muddy's uncom-
promising country blues was only one facet of
their recording 'activities. Of course this in no
way harmed the band's popularity. ' 2320 South Michigan. Their first artists were
'Working the clubs was still a pretty loose
affair and though Muddy's band worked more'
than most, they would still go along to help out
on someone else's gig on their nights off. hi fact
unofficially they became known as the Head-
hunters around the clubs for their habit of
dropping in on various gigs and blowing the
resident band off the stand. Their reputation
was high and crowds would gather at these cut-
ting contests,good-humoured drunken affairs
which guaranteed Muddy's band a good turn-out
for their next gig. At the end of November
another recording session took place and this
time Leroy Foster Was added to the line-up;
Muddy cut Silt tracks, four of which were re-
leased and Foster cut two. Muddy's 'You're
Gonna Miss Me' and 'Mean Red Spider' were
fine blues, but 'Muddy Jumps One' and Foster's
'Locked Out Boogie' were straight jump blues
calling for more expertise than either man
showed on this occasion. By the time they got
to recording 'Shady Grove Blues' their guitars
were jarringly out, of tune, and though Leroy
sang well in his Sonny Boy-inspired style the
record was not anauspicious debut.
As the band's reputation spread, they began
playing gigs further afield in Illinois and Indiana.
They had also come to the notice of dee-jay
Sam Evans of WGES,one of the few dee-jays to
feature Muddy's country blues on the radio.
Muddy recorded twice during the summer of
1949; one was a solo affair from which 'Little
Geneva' and 'Canary Bird' we're released. The
second session Muddy was accompanied by
Leroy Foster and Johnnie Jones; all five titles
were of a very high standard indeed, Muddy's
'Screaming and Crying' and Jones's 'Shelby
County Blues' especially so. In October the
band embarked on an extensive tour of the
South, using Helena, Arkansas as their base.
While in Helena they broadcasted over KFFA,
the programme being sponsored by the Cat
Clothes Store on Cherry Street. By all accounts
the schedule was pretty tough with the band
playing gigs in Mississippi until 1.00 am, driving
, back to Helena to sleep and then get up at
5.00 am to be at the radio station for the broad-
cast which began at 6.00. Jimmy Rogers de-
scribes the day when he and Little Walter over-
slept, to be awoken by the announcer asking
them to get in as soon as they could. Arriving .
some twenty minutes late, Jimmy and Walter
sneaked in to join Muddy and Leroy whilst the
announcer was doing a commercial. Houston
Stackhouse remembers seeing the band play at
~~ ~ which they rush-released to kill the prospects of
."'I"Y
. Little .
~ to any ideas of the band exploiting their popu-
JUST KEEP LOVIN' HER
LITTLE WALTER TRIO
the Owl Cafe on Missouri Street, and going on
drunken expeditions around Helena with
Jimmy, Walter and Robert Jr. Lockwood.
The band returned to Chicago during
January 1950 and it became apparent that if
Aristocrat were not interested in the other
members of Muddy's band, there were others
who were. In the same month the Parkway label
was formed, run by Monroe Passis and George
and Ernie Leaner of Hit Record Distributors at
announced as the Baby Face Trio and the Little
Walter Trio, but it was obvious that this was a
fairly transparent disguise for the complete
Muddy Waters band. Eight tracks were recorded
at the session, four by each artist; these are, the
only examples we have of what the band must
have been like live. Leroy's 'Boll Weevil' a
very loose, uninhibited version of the traditional
blues, with many asides by Leroy and the rest
of the band: when Leroy begins a verse with
"lfanybody asks you who wrote this song ... ",
Walter shouts, "Well, who did?" in a good-
humoured but slyly digging manner: 'Red
Headed Woman' was a fairly routine jump blues
though Jimmy Rogers provided a better foil to
Muddy's jagged boogie patterns. But undoub-
tedly the high point of the whole session was
the double length version of 'Rollin' And
Tumblin", quite possibly the best group recor-
ding of its kind to come out of Chicago. Part
one features the wordless humming and
moaning of Leroy, Muddy and Walter (Jimmy
Rogers did not play, though he is perhaps one,
of those off-mike who gives the occasional en- .
couraging whoop), which evokes memories of
Robert Johnson's 'If I Had Possession Over
Judgement Day', and by association Blind Willie
Johnson's 'Dark Was The Night.'. Part two dis-
sipates much of the tension which has been
created on the first side, but Leroy's strangu-
lated singing quickly restores the excitement
whilst Muddy and Walter vie with one another
in creating an anguished, tormented counter-
point.
Walter's four tracks could not aspire to such
undisciplined greatness, yet they are still of
great interest since on three of them he forsook
his harmonica for a guitar. The fourth was a re-
recording of 'I Just Keep Loving Her' which had
opened the session. 'Muskadine Blues' is a re-
working of Robert Jr. Lockwood's 'Take A
Little Walk With Me', a noisy affair with
Walter's over-amplified guitar riding rough-shod
over Muddy and Jimmy Rogers. His guitar
playing is brave but simplistic, all three songs
have the same introduction and much the same
solo reminiscent of the style JirnmyRogersused
on Memphis Minnie's Regal session the year
before. On 'Bad Acting Woman' he starts his
, solo with the fast strumming device which he
used a year later on Muddy Waters's 'Honey
Bee': Both this and 'Moonshine Blues' are
straight-forward blues with Walter singing in a
strong, full voice inevitably shouted on by the
rest of the band.
Leroy's 'Rollin' And Tumblin" was released
in March but it was destined to have a short
commercial life. Unfortunately, Muddy's dis-
tinctive voice and guitar were too prominent
the Chess brothers' liking. They insisted that
Muddy should record a version for Aristocrat
the Parkway recording. Muddy's solo perfor-
mance could not equal the group recording but
better distribution and perhaps a little friendly
persuasion ensured its success. It also put paid
lari ty with other companies, and effectively,
Baby Face's recording career. He had left
Muddy in the hope that his recording contract
could be the start of his own success story, bu t
Chess's manoeuvres squashed that. He subse-
quently made one unissued session for JOB in
1952 and died some time after of tuberculosis.
At the beginning of June 1950 Leonard and
Phil Chess became the sole owners of the Aris-
Baby Face l.eroy (right) (Mike Rowe)
tocrat label and changed the name, not surpri-
singly, to Chess. One of the first sessions under
the new name created a partnership on record
which began a new era of Chicago blues; at last,
officially, Little Walter joined Muddy in the
studio. Four titles were recorded, all classics of
their kind. A unique atmosphere still pervades
the songs now, akin to that created by Big Joe
Williams and Sonny Boy Williamson on the re-
cordings made for Bluebird and Columbia
during the '40s. All four songs arc based around
the same tune, though each has minor variations
in introduction and melody line; yet instead of
restricting the performers and inhibiting the
listener's appreciation, it is the very simplicity
and poise of the performances which gives them
their beauty.' Though undeniably post-war blues.
Gonna Need My Help I Said', 'Sad
Letter Blues', 'Early Morning Blues' and
'Appealing Blues' have a timelessness about
them that aligns them with the best of pre-war
blues and the simple truth of pure art. Through-
out Little Walter plays very much in the John
Lee Williamson vein, hugging closely to Muddy's
voice and guitar; in fact he is often overwhelmed
by 'Big' Crawford's booming bass or Muddy's
immaculately recorded slide guitar.
Walter was back in the studio on August IS,
this time to back Jimmy Rogers on his first
record, a remarkable fact considering that he
had been with Muddy for something like three
years and must obviously have come to the
. Chess brothers' attention during that time.
Their reticence was amply disproved when
for That's All Right' became an immediate hit.
Rogers was a more sophisticated and lyrical
, blues singer than Muddy. his voice was lighter
and his guitar playing was reminiscent of Willie
Lacey who has come- in for a lot of criticism for
his contributions to the "Bluebird sound". The
point is not hard to make however. since one
only has to listen to Rogers's work on Memphis
Minnie's Regal session recorded the previous
to year to hear the connection. A further connec-
tion is the fact that the other title recorded at
this first Chess session, 'Ludella' also turns up at
the end of Minnie's session complete with
Muddy and Walter in the backing group.
The success of this new formula brought
Muddy, Walter and Jimmy Rogers back into the
studio on October 23 with Muddy recording
'Louisiana Blues' and 'Evans Shuffle' dedicated
Jimmy Rogers (Mike Rowe)
to the ever-helpful dee-jay Sam Evans, and
Jimmy Rogers recording 'Going Away Baby'
and 'Today, Today Blues'. 'Louisiana Blues' was
a striking departure in to new territory, rhythmi-
cally quite complicated, with the bass and
rhythm guitar suggesting a double tempo over a
recurring dissonant slide figure echoed by
Walter's harmonica. 'Evans Shuffle' is a com-
plete contrast, a very straight-forward country
dance tune, basically a harmonica instrumental
which gives us the first example of the develop-
ing Little Walter style. It really cries out for
amplified harp and it's interesting to wonder
whether Walter was already using it on stage by
this time. He was to use it within a year on
record and maybe this was another example of
Chess playing safe with what they knew they
could handle.
Jimmy Rogers's two titles were 'Today,
Today Blues' and 'Going Away Baby', which
was Jimmy's version of the 'Rollin' And Tum-
blin" theme, this time without Muddy's sting-
ing slide. The whole performance is much
lighter, propelled by 'Big' Crawford's syncopa-
ted slapped bass and Walter playing an equally
elaborate counterpoint to the distinctive riff
which this time is played by Jimmy Rogers.
Everyone was back in the studio on January 23,
1951 but this time Jimmy Rogers didn't play on
Muddy's sides and had brought his own band,
the Rocking Four, in with him. Again one is
forced to speculate why Muddy was still recor-
ding in an essentially country blues context and
Jimmy Rogers should record with a full band;
since by this time Elga Edmonds was drumming
full time with the band on their club dates, it
would seem that Muddy was very much a victim
of a rigid recording policy. But, for all this
speculation, he and Walter were still creating
blues of an extremely high calibre. Walter was
showing his versatility, playing harmonica on
'Long Distance Call' and 'Too Young To Know'
and guitar on 'Honey Bee', finishing the session
back on harmonica for 'Howling Wolf. Another
innovation was that he was blowing direct into
a mike, thus enabling him to use a far greater
control and releasing him from the restrictions
of chordal playing. In particular, his flowing
lines on 'Howling Wolf' show a high degree of
sensitivity; it also says a lot for the very high
Muddy Waters (Chess)
standards set by Muddy and Walter, since it
remained unissued until recently. But this is
probably because 'Long Distance Call', sung to
the same tune, is a classic blues of an even
greater order, yearning and intense, sustained by
the astonishing rapport between Muddy and
Walter. This atmosphere is continued on 'Honey
Bee', an extended sexual metaphor where the
sadness and longing of the lyrics are perfectly
complimented by Muddy's emotional slide .
playing. It is also the case with 'Too Young To
Know', though here the theme of the song is
not quite so resigned. . which two versions exist; one with the full band
If a year before Muddy and Walter had re-
established country blues of a freshness and
vigour 'not heard for almost a decade, their next
session on July 11, 1951 took their own high
standards to a new peak of chilling intensity.
For the first time Walter used an amplified harp,
playing through an amp that distorted the har-
monica till at times it almost sounded like a
saxophone. Added to this was the sepulchral
monotone of a bass drum played with wavering
accuracy by Leonard Chess. All four songs,
'Country Boy', 'She Moves Me', 'My Fault' and
'Still A Fool', are dark, brooding masterpieces
sustaining a mood of abject despair never before
achieved on record. On the first three Walter
plays very spare harmonica, experimenting with
single note phrases; sometimes stopping in mid-
flight as if a little unsure of himself as on 'My
Fault', and sometimes making vocal interjec-
tions through the harmonica mike. 'She Moves
Me' returns to the theme of black magic which
was previously the subject of 'Louisiana Blues',
though this time the singer seems to be the
victim rather than the instigator. On 'Still A
Fool' Muddy put down his guitar and was
backed by Jimmy Rogers and Walter on two
guitars. Undistracted , Muddy sings in an im-
passioned style never before heard on his
records, matched by the deliberately heavy-
handed lead guitar played by Walter. Again an
amazing atmosphere is created in the studio
with presumably {he members of Jimmy
Rogers's band whooping in the background. As
Jimmy Rogers explains, this number was some-
thing of a tour-de-force on stage, and when
Muddy began singing "She's alright, she's
alright" as he docs at the end of the recording,
he would start stomping and running round the
stage; so therefore it was common sense for him
not to play guitar on the session. After this
session, Walter stayed on to help out on Jimmy
Rogers's four numbers, playing guitar on
'Money, Marbles and Chalk' and 'Hard W9rking
Man'. and harmonica on 'Chance to Love' and
'My LIttle Machine',
Th,ere was one more session before the end
of l~S I, on December 29th. though for a long
time only one of the four. titles recorded-was
actually issued. This was 'All Night Long' of
of Muddy, Jimmy Rogers, Waiter and Elga
Edmonds recently issued on the first 'Genesis'
box which suffers from a number of faults; the
other version is the one issued at the time, with
just Muddy and Walter. Both versions have an
unnecessary repeat echo which is more appro-
priate to the slower duo performance than the
monotonous band track. This monotony is
added to by an astonishingly wooden harmoni-
ca part which hardly varies from the basic riff
throughout the whole song. This must surely
have been at the insistence of Len Chess, for on
the other version Walter plays in his characteris-
tic manner, embellishing the 'Rock Me Mama'
riff and occasionally inserting stabbing chords,
utilising the repeat echo with far more imagina-
tion than before. It is hard to know the circum-
stances these two versions, but my theory is
that it was intended to be a band performance,
until Len Chess interfered with Walter'sharp
part, ultimately perhaps getting his own way
when it was decided to use just Muddy and
Walter on their own. Of the three other tracks,
'They Call Me Muddy Waters', 'Stuff You Gotta
Watch' and 'Lonesome Day', only the first has
been issued so far, although the other' two will
be appearing on Mike Rowe's Genesis 3 box-set
in the near future. Though 'They Call Me
Muddy Waters' is in many ways a fine track
with superbly lyrical harmonica work from
Walter and a sensitive vocal by Muddy, it is
marred by the rather wayward drumming by
Elga Edmonds.
(The nextpartofthis appreciation of Little
Walter will cover 'the rest Of his from the
recording of 'Juke' to his death in /968.)