Big Walter

Big Walter Horton was one of the key architects of modern blues harmonica. Blues legend Willie Dixon referred to him as "the best harmonica player I ever heard." Along with Little Walter Jacobs and Sonny Boy Williamson II, he is considered to be one of the most influential harpists ever. He was capable of both intense power and fragile delicacy, often in the same song. He was endlessly melodically adventurous, and always unpredictable. His only Alligator Records album, - "Big Walter Horton With Carey Bell", came out in 1972. It paired him with his young protégé, who had played under Walter's tutelage since Bell's arrival in Chicago. Walter's long-time partner Eddie Taylor joined them on guitar. It was Alligator's second-ever release, and received widespread critical acclaim, especially for the fiery harp duets that pitted the two harmonica masters against one another.

The album we have here is interesting, even great at times. It is made up of never before released material which, given Horton’s meager output, makes it important by that count alone. Here is Horton doing a spirited instrumental on Big Walter’s Boogie, then steaming in with Hard Hearted Woman, his rough-edged voice and the solid beat exactly what you’d hear in raucous blues clubs on Chicago’s southside, the band trying to overpower a hard-drinking audience.
There are a number of other songs you’re going to like, and you’ll like Walter Horton, something he never seemed to understand. He was oddly unbelieving in himself, despite being held in such high esteem by his contemporaries and by hordes of European rock stars of the sixties and seventies, who were themselves worshipped, but knelt in awe of this quiet, gentle man from Mississippi…

Big Walter Horton - In Session: From Memphis To Chicago 1951-1956 (2019) {Jasmine Records JASMCD 3125}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 194 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 164 Mb
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© 1951-56, 2019 Jasmine Records | JASMCD 3125
Blues / Rhythm and Blues / Chicago Blues / Harmonica Blues

When it comes to post war blues harmonica players Little Walter and Big Walter Horton tower above just about all the others. This excellent set features a selection of recordings that he made under his own name as well as many of the sides where he contributed his stellar harmonica work as a sideman. These include accompaniments to Willie Nix, Johnny Shines, Joe Hill Louis, Tampa Red, Arbee Stidham, Sunnyland Slim and Jimmy Rogers. It includes his recording with Jimmy DeBerry of Easy which is one of the greatest harmonica solos of all time.

This is very early amplified Walter, recorded in the fall of 1954 for the Black-owned United/States labels. On four of the cuts, Big Walter is playing backup harp and solos for singer Tommy Brown; the other two cuts represent Big Walter's first Chicago record under his own name. Includes the definitive recording of the classic Walter tune "Hard Hearted Woman." Reissued on compact disc by Delmark in 2000.

The music has the unforced feel of (Chicago's) blues of the late 30s and 40s without once sounding anachronistic. The five musicians (playing as a quintet) share the vocal duties, providing striking contrasts…All the material is original in the true sense, not just old blues with reshuffled lyrics and new titles, and the quintet interprets it with real conviction. Horton is featured on seven of the seventeen numbers. ~ Manchester, England Evening News

Starkly printed in black and white with washed-out, grainy photographs, this is one heavy slab of blues by a player who is not as well-known as he should be. Guitarist Jimmy Rogers was usually overshadowed by the leaders he worked for, Muddy Waters particularly. He was also sometimes confused with the hillbilly singer Jimmie Rodgers, and although they might have sounded good together, they don't have anything in common. This reissue collection grabs 14 tracks done at various times in the mostly early '50s which involve practically a who's who of performers associated with the most intense and driving Chicago blues. This includes the aforementioned Waters, leaving behind his role as leader for a few numbers to add some stinging guitar parts. There is also a pair of harmonica players, each of whom could melt vinyl siding with their playing. These are the Walters, big and little, as in Big Walter Horton and Little Walter. Pianist Otis Spann, bassist Willie Dixon, and drummer Fred Belew are also on hand, meaning the rhythm section action is first class.

Big Walter's first album and with an all star cast - Buddy Guy (guitar), Jack Myers (bass), Willie Dixon (vocals), and Willie Smith (drums). Although not definitive, this album is worth seeking out for Horton fans. It features Walter in a variety of musical styles, including a good rendition of "Hard Hearted Woman" and a wild version of "La Cucaracha".

Probably from the mid-'70s, this is later Horton, with John Nicholas on guitar and Ron Levy on piano. The album features a variety of material, including a good version of "Hard Hearted Woman." Not vintage, but worth a listen.
Big Walter Horton, sometimes known as Shakey Walter Horton, is one of the most influential blues harmonica players of all time, and a particular pioneer in the field of amplified harmonica. He isn't as widely known as his fellow Chicago blues pioneers Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson II, due mostly to the fact that, as a rather shy, quiet individual, he never had much taste for leading his own bands or recording sessions. But his style was utterly distinctive, marked by an enormous, horn-like tone, virtuosic single-note lines, fluid phrasing, and an expansive sense of space…

Horton was tragically underrecorded as a bandleader; this album certainly attests to his talents in that regard, whether romping through a joyous "Everybody's Fishin'" or elegantly exmaining the tonal possibilities of the Duke Ellington chestnut "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." John Nicholas provides sympathetic backing on both guitar and piano, and Kaz Kazanoff is the stellar saxman.