Views from Western Australia

These are the recordings that changed the sound and style of blues harmonica forever.  Marion Walter Jacobs (b. 1930 Louisiana) was influenced by Sonny Boy Williamson (No. 1) and Louis Jordan with his jump saxophone arrangements and then revolutionized the blues harmonica technique after arriving at Chicago’s notorious ‘Maxwell Street’ market in 1947.

Little Walter was in a league of his own when it came to playing the harp and he pioneered the modern day harp sound when he was the first harp player to go "electric" by using a hand held microphone and amplifier which gave him the fat harp tone that became known as the ‘Mississippi Saxophone’.

In 1951 the Chess brothers hired him to back Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers, and it was as much his amplified harmonica that became a signature sound on many of Waters biggest hits from the period.

In 1952 he literally burst into prominence in his own right with his instrumental ‘Juke’ which went to # 1 and stayed there for eight weeks.  The follow-up ‘Sad Hours’ reached  # 2 early in 1953, while the flipside ‘Mean Old World’ reached # 6.  For blues trivia buffs, it is interesting to note that Muddy Waters played guitar on each of these first three hits.  Later that same year he charted with ‘Off The Wall’ (# 8 )and ‘Tell Me Mama’ ( # 10).  From there to 1959 he would have 10 more hit singles; including the seminal ‘My Babe’ written by Willie Dixon which his other # 1 hit (for five weeks early in 1955).

Little Walter Jacobs is – perhaps - the most influential harmonica player in contemporary blues.  For example during the emerging 60’s British blues scene his song "It Ain’t Right" was covered by John Mayall and Eric Clapton on the classic Bluesbreakers album and the Rolling Stones covered “Confessin’ The Blues".

Adding to this CD’s value are the six pages of liner notes written by music historian Billy Altman, which includes the story behind Juke, several photographs, and a complete discography.  

Walter died from injuries sustained in a street brawl at the age of only 38.  Altman wrote "By 1968 he was gone, leaving behind a legacy that harmonica players everywhere regard as, quite simply, the holy grail."