Williamson, Sonny Boy – Down and Out Blues

Nicknamed “King of the Harmonica” by his peers, the legendary Alex “Rice” Miller (betterknown as Sonny Boy Williamson II) was one of the most inspiring harp players in blueshistory. Though he took his name from another well-known harmonica player, no one really sounded like him. Williamson developed his own signature harmonica style, always showing a metronome-like timing and an endlessly inventive technique. His voice, with its warm, throaty vibrato and subtle nuances, was also among the most expressive in the idiom. Sonny Boy has influenced generations of players, including such virtuosos as Howlin’ Wolf, James Cotton, Junior Wells and Paul Butterfield. Williamson died of a heart attack in May 1965, but not before inspiring legions of young Brits hoping to make their mark on the world of music – ranging from Eric Burdon and Mick Jagger to Van Morrison. This essential LP release includes Sonny Boy’s complete debut long play, the fabulous Down and Out Blues, originally released in 1959 on the Chess Records subsidiary label Checker. It’s one of Williamson’s finest albums, accompanied by such Chicago blues legends as guitarists Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Luther Tucker and Robert Lockwood, Jr., bassist Willie Dixon, pianist Otis Spann and drummer Fred Below. All of them helped Sonny Boy to lay down the foundation that later inspired Bob Dylan to develop what he called that “wild mercury sound” in the mid-1960s. In addition to the original masterpiece, this limited collector’s edition includes 4 bonus tracks, consisting of hard to find sides taped between 1958 and 1961: “Your Imagination,” “Nine Below Zero,” “Lonesome Cabin,” and “Stop Right Now.” All of these great recordings forever changed the sound and style of the blues harmonica, making this an indispensable set for any blues devotee.

SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON, vocals and harmonica, plus: Muddy Waters (guitar on Side 1, tracks 1 & 3), Eugene Pierson (guitar on Side 2, tracks 2 & 3), Jimmy Rogers, Luther Tucker or Robert Lockwood, Jr. (guitar on all other tracks), Willie Dixon (bass), Otis Spann (piano on Side 1, tracks 1-6 / Side 2, tracks 4-6), Lafayette Leake (piano on Side 2, tracks 2 & 3), Fred Below (drums). Produced by Leonard Chess, Phil Chess, and Willie Dixon.

Recorded at Chess Studio, Chicago, between August 12, 1955 and March 27, 1958.