The podcast that profiles great harmonica players and technicians from around the world
Dec. 20, 2023

Little Walter retrospective

Little Walter retrospective

Episode 100 is a retrospective on the greatest ever blues harmonica player, Marion Walter Jacobs, aka Little Walter.
Little Walter was born in 1930, probably, and started playing harmonica age 8. He was busking on the streets of New Orleans by age 12, spent some time in Helena, before heading north to Chicago to make his indelible mark on blues and the harmonica. Little Walter teamed up with Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers and cut some classic blues recordings before he went out under his own name after he was launched into superstardom with his instrumental Juke, in 1952. He was riding high in the charts and touring for the next few years, including another number one with My Babe, while still also recording with Muddy Waters.
The arrival of rhythm and blues started to replace the blues as the popular music of the day, which saw Little Walter start to go down slow, but he still made some great recordings and completed two tours of Europe.
He was then taken far too young, at the age of 37, as a result of an injury sustained in a street fight. But he left behind numerous masterpieces in the blues harmonica genre, that have influenced pretty much every player since.

Links:
The Little Walter Foundation:
https://littlewalterfoundation.org/

Billy Boy Arnold interview:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com/billy-boy-arnold-interview/

Kim Field website:
https://www.kimfield.com/

Bob Corritore Little Walter photo tribute page:
https://bobcorritore.com/photos/little-walter-photo-tribute/

Videos:
Lonnie Glosson and Wayne Raney:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfXb7OEjVzU

Ora Nelle Blues, first recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E7z56E0DwI

Playing Walter's Jump with Hound Dog Taylor in 1967:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8GWEvIkzGE

Trailer of Blue Midnight Little Walter biography:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtZDbiCEfnM

She’s 19 Years Old bootleg recording with Sam Lay from 1967:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9-pYoSCcHc

Little Walter’s induction into Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyYk_PlnnUo


Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

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