Big City Blues & Howlin' Wolf - Big City Blues & Howlin' Wolf In Warsaw (2015) [CD Rip]

Personnel: Howlin 'Wolf, singing, harmonica; Sunnyland Slim, piano; Hubert Sumlin, guitar; Willie Dixon, double bass, guitar, singing; James Clifton, drums.

This album surprised me extremely. Recordings saw the light of day, the existence of which I admit, I had no idea! The concert of the Big City Blues band and the legend of Chicago blues, Howlin 'Wolf, took place in the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall as part of the Jazz Jamboree '64 festival. It's hard to believe that this Blues Festival took place in Poland, exactly 50 years ago!

It was the first concert of a blues band from the USA in Poland. And what kind! The brightest stars themselves are included in the team. A separate article could be written about each of the musicians performing then. The great blues pianist Sunnyland Slim played the piano and also sang some songs. Right hand on guitar, the main pillar of Howlin 'Wolf's band, Hubert Sumlin. The legendary composer of many blues themes played to this day, court musician and arranger of the Chicago Chess Studio, Willie Dixon, played and sang on the double bass, as well as in two songs on the acoustic guitar. On drums

a musician who plays with the leading American bluesmen, James Clifton. As if that was not enough, Howlin 'Wolf himself was at the head of this splendid ensemble.

Immediately, at the beginning of the concert, it was noticeable how powerful the blues message is. I was amazed to see that the reception (and the performance) was absolutely unaffected by the fact that Willie Dixon started the evening singing to himself on a completely out of tune guitar! The blues flowed, and it was only at the end of the song that Willie slowly tuned the instrument.

After two lesser-known numbers of Dixon, Sunnyland Slim took over the baton and with the accompaniment of the entire band, he performed three of his compositions, including Everytime I Get to Drinking . The time has finally come for the star of the evening. The front of the stage was taken over by the legendary, charismatic singer and great harmonica player, Chester Burnett, better known as Howlin 'Wolf. One by one, well-known themes, blues standards such as Spoonful, Goin 'Down Slow, Dust My Broom . Then those associated with Wolf, Killing Floor, Howlin 'for My Darling, Smokestack Lightning . The artists finished the concert with the appropriate Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby Goodbye)Bob Crewe. The theme of Robert Johnson once again appeared for the encore, but played in the Elmore James convention, Dust My Broom . The album was released as the 19th volume of the Polish Radio Jazz Archives series signed by Polish Radio. The fact of its release cannot be overestimated. Actually, next to the recordings of the concert by Muddy Waters at Jazz Jamboree '76, it is the only record of the performance of such eminent blues artists in our country. Their artistic and historical value cannot be overestimated. The album should be a must-have item in the collection of every bluesfan and not only. ~Zbyszek Jedrzejczyk