RE: [Harp-L] Re:Walter Horton Recommendations

[chicago bluesman <chicagobluesman@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Oh geez....you'll get so many varied recommendations for Big Walter that you'll be back where you started: not knowing where to begin.  Funny, though, that my perspective is that Walter's discography is sadly small and not difficult to get your arms around.  Anyway....I'm big on Big Walter--I had the good fortune to hear him quite a bit before he died and am hopelessly smitten with his tone and ideas.  My personal fav's would include:

--Check out the 1953 sessions with Johnny Shines which produced "Evening Sun"--amazing stuff.

--I love how Walter sounds on the Arhoolie recordings he did with Johnny Young--track down the recording simply called "Chicago Blues", which includes "Wild, Wild Woman" and a long list of other tunes.  

--I've always been a fan of the Alligator recording he did with Carey Bell.  By the time this one was recorded Walter could be a little testy, tempramental and sometimes apathetic--having Carey Bell on a number of the tunes supposedly helped to motivate him.  You can immerse yourself in fat tone on these tunes--I would highly recommend it.  The recording of "Trouble in Mind", where he is accompanied only by Eddie Taylor, is like  a sacred prayer.  Truly.  You know, though, it's funny just how whimsical genius can be: there used to be a recording floating around with Walter & Eddie playing "Trouble In Mind" which was recorded at a gig or a party, literally only a week or so after this stunning Alligator studio recording, and they fumbled around for the whole song, unable to agree on the key, sounding terrible.  Anyway....check out the Alligator CD.  It's a great group of tunes to play along with--I've spent hours playing along with this recording.

John

> From: jfitting@xxxxxxxxxxx
> To: conruth@xxxxxxxxx; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx; bradford.trainham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Re:Walter Horton Recommendations
> Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2009 21:33:13 -0500
> CC: 
> 
> 
> I recommend " Easy " and Jimmie Rodger's "Walkin' By Myself".
> JIM
> 
> > To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx; bradford.trainham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > From: conruth@xxxxxxxxx
> > Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2009 20:19:47 -0500
> > CC: 
> > Subject: [Harp-L] Re:Walter Horton Recommendations
> > 
> > Bradford Trainham asked
> > 
> > > Ok...,
> > > So I'm studying Walter Horton this month.
> > > My immediate problem is that he seems to have so much recorded  
> > > material
> > > available that I don't know which I should study.
> > > So could all you Walter Horton devotees suggest what you think is  
> > > his most
> > > significant work?
> > > Thanks,
> > > Brad Trainham
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > I highly recommend Chicago The Blues Today, Vol. 3 on Vanguard Records.
> > 
> > Peter Madcat Ruth
> > madcat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > www.madcatmusic.net
> > home: 734-761-8518
> > mobile: 734-678-7047
> > 
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