Description
Apart from the 10-years-younger and still surviving B B King, Muddy Waters (1915-1983) was arguably the most internationally renowned ambassador of the blues of the post-WW2 electrified generation, in his case a pivotal figure in the development of a southern rural upbringing and style translocated to, and transformed in, the urbanized setting of Chicago.
Whereas the majority of subsequently well known migrating bluesmen made their recording debut after their move to a city, Muddy was first captured on tape in rural Mississippi in 1941 and '42 by Alan Lomax. 13 of those 'field' recordings open this 4CD set, allowing the listener to then hear how Muddy progressed, amplified and matured his performances once he had settled in Chicago, where he recorded briefly for Columbia in 1946 (the balance of Disc One) before being signed by the Chess brothers in 1947. It was as a Chess recording artist that he soon became top dog on the burgeoning Chicago blues scene. Discs 2-4 of this set cover all of his important recording up to end-1955, including the 12 R&B chart hits that put him at the forefront of that era's Chicago bluesmen and founded his international reputation.