Categories: Blues

May 1: Little Walter was born in 1930

 

May 1: Little Walter was born in 1930

..king of all post-war blues harpists,…. The fiery harmonica wizard took the humble mouth organ in dazzling amplified directions that were unimaginable prior to his ascendancy.
~Bill Dahl (allmusic.com)

Induction of Little Walter into R&R Hall of Fame in 2008:

Walter’s Jump – Live @ American Folk Blues Festival 1967, Germany:

Wikipedia:

Little Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs (May 1, 1930 – February 15, 1968), was an American blues harmonica player, whose revolutionary approach to his instrument has earned him comparisons to Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix, for innovation and impact on succeeding generations. His virtuosity and musical innovations fundamentally altered many listeners’ expectations of what was possible on blues harmonica. Little Walter was inducted to the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 in the “sideman” category making him the first and only artist ever to be inducted specifically for his work as a harmonica player.

Juke:

His legacy has been enormous: he is widely credited by blues historians as the artist primarily responsible for establishing the standard vocabulary for modern blues and blues rock harmonica players. His influence can be heard in varying degrees in virtually every modern blues harp player who came along in his wake, from blues greats such as Junior Wells, James Cotton, George “Harmonica” Smith, Carey Bell, and Big Walter Horton, through modern-day masters Sugar Blue, Billy Branch, Kim Wilson, Rod Piazza, William Clarke, and Charlie Musselwhite, in addition to blues-rock crossover artists such as Paul Butterfield and John Popper of the band Blues Traveler. Little Walter was portrayed in the 2008 film, Cadillac Records, by Columbus Short.

Awards & recognition: 

  • 1986 – Blues Hall of Fame: “Juke” (Classics of Blues Recordings – Singles or Album Tracks category)
  • 1991 – Blues Hall of Fame: Best of Little Walter (Classics of Blues Recordings – Albums category)
  • 1995 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: “Juke” (500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll)
  • 2003 – Rolling Stone: Best of Little Walter (#198 on list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time)
  • 2008 – Grammy Awards: “Juke” (Grammy Hall of Fame Award)
  • 2008 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Little Walter inducted (Sideman category)
  • 2008 – Blues Hall of Fame: “My Babe” (Classics of Blues Recordings – Singles or Album Tracks category)
  • 2009 – Grammy Awards The Complete Chess Masters: 1950–1967 (Best Historical Album Winner)

Best of Little Walter:

– Egil & Hallgeir

Egil

Recent Posts

“All Dylan” Blog will merge with “Born To Listen” Blog

alldylan.com will merge with borntolisten.com. Please check out borntolisten.com & subscribe.

4 years ago

Bob Dylan – Mutineer (Warren Zevon) @ Hartford, Connecticut 2002

Bob Dylan performing Warren Zevon's wonderful "Mutineer".

4 years ago

January 21: Bob Dylan Recorded One Of His Best Songs “She’s Your Lover Now” in 1966

On January 21, 1966 Bob Dylan recorded one of his best songs "She's Your Lover…

4 years ago

November 30: Bob Dylan recorded “Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?” in 1965

Bob Dylan recorded "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" on November 30, 1965. Here…

4 years ago

Bob Dylan Sings Gordon Lightfoot – Happy Birthday Gordon Lightfoot

Happy 81st Birthday Gordon Lightfoot (November 17, 1938). This post includes audio of Bob Dylan…

4 years ago

Bob Dylan Sings Neil Young’s Old Man (3 versions)

Bob Dylan covers Neil Young's "Old Man" - 3 versions from 2002.

4 years ago