08 May 2008
Little Walter inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2008
The recent induction of Little Walter into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in the sideman category has received fairly copious news coverage.
It is the crest of a wave of interest in Walter's life and work that has been building in momentum for perhaps ten years.
He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame when it opened in 1980, but this recognition shows how widely his influence has spread through tunes like Willie Dixon's composition My Babe. Although Walter's brief musical life ended in 1968, not long in historical terms, he remains remote and enigmatic leaving many questions about his personality and musical philosophy unanswered.
Little Walter is best known for his heritage, the records he made as a leader and accompanist for Chess/Checker - beginning with Muddy Waters. His period of peak creativity was brief - perhaps only four or five years, Walter was literally a supernova during his great years - a short lived stellar explosion that for a time outshines it's own entire galaxy. In the early 1950s the conditions existed for Walter's genius to erupt, be captured on tape and then sadly, subside. Like others who saw Walter perform in the 60's I knew i would only catch a passing echo of the unparalleled greatness that was on those early records. The supernova had pretty much burned out by then.
Now that Little Walter is being honoured, rediscovered and re-examined it's a good time to play the music from his great days and once again be totally astonished by the tone, the timing, the invention, the audacity and the beautiful music that set him apart from anyone else who ever turned their hand to the blues harmonica. It is not hard to imagine that when another forty years have passed since Walter's death, young people will be still hearing his records for the first time and thinking What sound ! - what kind of harmonica do i need to buy to play like that.
Recommended reading and listening list.
Little Walter's biography Blues with a feeling written by Tony Glover, Scott Dirks, and Ward Gaines and
The Chess 50th Anniversary CD, His best, is a great place to start.
Article published in April/May 2008 Harmonica World
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Little Walter
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