If there's a blues harmonica player alive today who doesn't have a copy of this landmark album in their collection, they're either lying or had their copy of it stolen by another harmonica player. This 12-song collection is the one that every harmonica player across the board cut their teeth on. All the hits are here: "My Babe," "Blues with a Feeling," "You Better Watch Yourself," "Off the Wall," "Mean Old World" and the instrumental that catapulted him from the sideman chair in Muddy Waters' band to the top of the R&B charts in 1952, "Juke." Walter's influence to this very day is so pervasive over the landscape of the instrument that this collection of singles is truly: 1) one of the all-time greatest blues harmonica albums, 2) one of the all-time greatest Chicago blues albums, and 3) one of the first ten albums you should purchase if you're building your blues collection from the ground floor up.
1. My Babe
with Robert Lockwood Jr. and Leonard Caston (guitars), Willie Dixon (bass) and Fred Below (drums)
2. Sad Hours
with Louis Myers and Dave Myers (guitars) and Fred Below (drums)
3. You're So Fine
with Louis Myers and Dave Myers (guitars) and Fred Below (drums)
4. Last Night
with Robert Lockwood Jr. and Dave Myers (guitars), Willie Dixon (bass) and Fred Below (drums)
5. Blues With A Feeling
with Louis Myers and Dave Myers (guitars) and Fred Below (drums)
6. Can't Hold Out Much Longer
with Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers (guitars) and Elgin Evans (drums)
7. Juke
with Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers (guitars) and Elgin Evans (drums)
8. Mean Old World
with Louis Myers and Dave Myers (guitars) and Fred Below (drums)
9. Off The Wall
with Louis Myers and Dave Myers (guitars) and Fred Below (drums)
10. You Better Watch Yourself
with Robert Lockwood Jr. and Dave Myers (guitars), Willie Dixon (bass) and Fred Below (drums)
11. Blue Lights
with Robert Lockwood Jr. and Dave Myers (guitars), Willie Dixon (bass) and Fred Below (drums)
12. Tell Me Mamma
with Louis Myers and Dave Myers (guitars) and Fred Below (drums)