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Little Walter – The Blues World Of Little Walter
Delmark 648

In 1950-51 there was a new generation of bluesmen whose evolving music synthesized the raw power of the Delta blues, the amplified energy of electric instruments and the bold tempo of the ghetto streets. Little Walter was just 19 years old, Baby Face was 26 and Muddy Waters was 34. The Parkway session presented here failed to produce any chart records, but did generate a wild, romping collection of down-home blues that has achieved legendary status through various issues and reissues. Of course Little Walter would soon emerge as the world’s premier harmonicist and scale the heights of blues stardom. He will be remembered as a true blues genius in the same category as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and very few others. Amazingly, The Blues World Of Little Walter is the first time all eight sides have been issued together as well as the first time they’ve been released utilizing the original masters as the source material, now digitally restored.

"If you really want to hear what Little Walter sounded like in his pre-amplified days and early stages of development with the Muddy Waters band, this is the one to get. The title is a bit of a misnomer as Walter is featured more as a sideman to Baby Face Leroy, Muddy Waters and others on early Parkway, Regal and Savoy sides, but it's clear that Walter at this stage of the game should have been paying royalties to both Sonny Boys and Walter Horton in particular. One of the high points features explosive slide work from Waters on a pre-Chess version of "Rollin' & Tumblin'," as crude as a version as you'll ever hear and certainly not to be missed. Although many of these sides have appeared on other compilations (usually taped up off of old scratchy 78s), this one features superior sound taken from the original lacquer masters."- CUB KODA - ALL MUSIC REVIEW

Recorded 1950-1954

Little Walter & Baby Face Leroy with Muddy Waters
1 I Just Keep Loving Her 2:52
2 Muskadine Blues 3:10
3 Rollin' And Tumblin' (Part 1) 2:47
4 Rollin' And Tumblin' (Part 2) 3:12
5 Boll Weevil 2:41
6 Bad Acting Woman 2:43
7 Red Headed Woman 2:43
8 Moonshine Blues 2:51

J.B. Lenoir
9 I Wanna Play A Little While 2:44
10 Louise 2:56
11 People Are Meddlin' In Our Affairs 2:51

Sunnyland Slim
12 I Done You Wrong 2:42
13 Low Down Sunnyland Train 2:48

Little Walter: vocals (1, 2, 6, 8) harp (1, 3-5, 7) guitar (2, 6, 8)
Muddy Waters: guitar (1-8)
Baby Face Leroy Foster: vocals (3, 5, 7)
J. B. Lenoir: vocals, guitar (9-11)
Sunnyland Slim: vocals (12, 13) piano (9-13)
Jimmy Rogers: guitar (5, 7)
Robert Lockwood Jr.: guitar (12, 13)
Ernest "Big" Crawford: bass (12, 13)
Alfred "Fat Man" Wallace: drums (9-13)
Oliver Alcorn: tenor sax (12, 13)


Artwork By [Cover Painting] – Jeanette Walzak
Compilation Producer [Album Production] – Robert G. Koester, Steve Wagner
Design – Al Brandtner
Engineer [CEDAR processing] – Paul Underwood (2)
Liner Notes – Jim O'Neal
Other [Quality Control] – Dave Jones (10)
Photography By [Cover Photo] – Val Wilmer*
Photography By [Liner Photos] – Ray Flerlage
Supervised By – Fred Mendelsohn, Joe Brown (9), Monroe Passis




Recorded January, 1950:
A1: Take 4 of 4, Parkway/Herald, Pkwy 502 Her 403
A2: Take 3 of 3, Parkway/Herald, Pkwy 104 Her 404
A3: Take 1 of 1, Parkway/Herald, Pkwy 501 Her 404
A4: Take 1 of 1, Parkway, Pkwy 501
A5: Take 3 of 3, Parkway/Savoy, Pkwy 104 Sav 1102
A6: Take 1 of 1, Parkway, Pkwy 502. Also on Savoy as "Moonshine Baby," Sav 1102.
B1: Take 2 of 2, Parkway/Savoy, Pkwy 104 Sav 1102. Also on Herald as "Take A Little Walk With Me," Her 403
B2: Take 1 of 2, Regal, Re 3296

Parkway releases credited to Baby Face Trio;

Regal/Herald releases credited to Little Walter Trio;

Savoy releases credited to Baby Face.

Unknown recording date, originally issued 1954:
B3: J-42341, J.O.B. 1101
B4: J-42342, J.O.B. 1101

Recorded October 22, 1951:
B5: J-42344, J.O.B. 112

Recorded July 19, 1951:
B6: R-1512, Regal unissued
B7: R-1513, Regal unissued