Little Walter

Little Walter

h, voc, 1930-1968 US, Marksville, Louisiana
Singer / Composer / Songwriter of Blues
A.k.a. Marion Walter Jacobs

Blues harmonica player and composer. His innovation on the harmonica has had impact on succeeding generations. Born & raised in Louisiana, Little Walter had quit school by the age of 12, & was supporting himself with odd jobs & busking around southern cities in Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, & Missouri. Arriving in Chicago in 1945, he occasionally found work as a guitarist but garnered more attention for his already highly developed harmonica work. Jacobs, growing frustrated with having his harmonica drowned out by electric guitarists, competed with their volume by adopting the previously little-used method of amplification. However, he differed from his contemporaries by purposely pushing his amplifiers beyond their intended technical limitations, using the amplification to explore and develop radical new timbres and sonic effects previously unheard from a harmonica, or any other instrument. It has been said Little Walter was the first musician of any kind to purposely use electronic distortion. His first released recordings were in 1947. He then joined Muddy Waters band playing mostly unamplified harmonica from 1948 to 1952, though Chess hired Walter to play on most of Muddy's records throughout the 50's. In 1952 his instrumental hit "Juke" spent 8 weeks atop the Billboard R&B chart, the only harmonica instrumental #1 to date. Little Walter scored fourteen top-ten hits on the Billboard R&B charts between 1952 and 1958, including a second #1, "My Babe" in 1955, a level of commercial success never achieved by his former boss Waters. In the late 1950s, Jacob's fame and fortunes began to decline. He suffered from alcoholism and had a notoriously short temper. He died in his sleep at the apartment of a girlfriend at 209 E. 54th St. in Chicago early in the morning following a fight outside a club he was playing at in South Chicago. Described as "king of all post-war blues harpists", he is widely credited by blues historians as the artist primarily responsible for establishing the standard vocabulary for modern blues & blues rock harmonica players. Inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 (Sidemen). Born 1 May 1930 in Marksville, Louisiana. Died 15 February 1968 in Chicago, Illinois.

Instruments

Harmonica
Vocals

Genres

Blues
Rock
R&B/Soul

Plays With

Little Walter & His Jukes

Little Walter And His Combo

Little Walter And The Night Cats

Little Walter Trio

Popular Tracks

My Babe on The Essential Little Walter by Little Walter

Juke on The Essential Little Walter by Little Walter

Blue And Lonesome - Single Version on Hate To See You Go by Little Walter

Hate To See You Go on Hate To See You Go by Little Walter

Key To The Highway on Hate To See You Go by Little Walter

Sad Hours on The Essential Little Walter by Little Walter

Blues With A Feeling on The Essential Little Walter by Little Walter

Just Your Fool on The Essential Little Walter by Little Walter

Mean Old World on The Essential Little Walter by Little Walter

Last Night on The Essential Little Walter by Little Walter

Track list and 30sec audio provided by

Band Members

Discography

Title	Artist	Year	Type
Hate To See You Go	Little Walter	2017	Compil.
The Essential Recordings	Little Walter	2017	Compil.
Mellow Down Easy	Little Walter	2017	Compil.
The Complete Checker Singles As & Bs 1952-1960	Little Walter	2016	Compil.
Boom Boom	Little Walter	2016	Compil.
Just Feeling: Chess Sides 1952-1962	Little Walter	2015	Compil.
It's Too Late Brother / I Hate To See You Go	Little Walter / Little Walter & His Jukes	2014	Single
Mean Old Frisco / Come Back Baby	Little Walter	2013	Single
Juke Joint Blues	Little Walter	2012	Album
Blues Greats	Little Walter	2011	Compil.
Boom Boom - The Singles As & Bs 1952-1960	Little Walter	2011	Compil.
Rock Bottom	Little Walter	2011	Compil.
Chicago Blues Festival	Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, Little Walter & Otis Rush	2009	Compil.
The Complete Chess Masters (1950-1967)	Little Walter	2009	Compil.
Charly Blues Masterworks Volume 19 - Little Walter	Little Walter	2009	Compil.
Chess Masters	Little Walter	2009	Compil.
Chess Masters	Little Walter	2009	Compil.
Blowin' The Blues	Little Walter	2008	Compil.
Juke	Little Walter	2007	Compil.
The Chronological Little Walter 1953-1955	Little Walter	2007	Compil.
Blues With A Feeling	Little Walter	2006	Compil.
Blues With A Feeling	Little Walter	2006	Compil.
Stray Dog Blues	Little Walter	2006	Compil.
Blowing With A Feeling	Little Walter	2005	Compil.
The Chronological Little Walter 1947-1953	Little Walter	2004	Compil.
Little Walter	Little Walter	1999	Compil.
Live At The Chicago Blues Festival	Little Walter & Otis Rush	1997	Compil.
Blues With A Feelin' Vol. 2	Little Walter	1997	Compil.
His Best	Little Walter	1997	Compil.
Blues With A Feelin' Vol. 1	Little Walter	1997	Compil.
Blues With A Feeling	Little Walter	1995	Compil.
Blues Masters	Little Walter, Otis Rush	1994	Compil.
The Essential Little Walter	Little Walter	1993	Compil.
Blues Legends	Little Walter, Memphis Slim, Sleepy John Estes, Sunnyland Slim	1993	Compil.
Boss Blues Harmonica	Little Walter	1992	Compil.
The Super Super Blues Band	Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley, Little Walter, Buddy Guy	1992	Compil.
Blues With A Feeling	Little Walter	1992	Compil.
The Chess Years 1952 - 1963	Little Walter	1992	Compil.
The World Of / Juke	Little Walter	1992	Compil.
Blues With A Feeling	Little Walter	1991	Compil.
Living The Blues - Blues With A Feeling	Little Walter	1991	Compil.
The Electric Harmonica Genius	Little Walter	1990	Compil.
Real Chicago Blues	Little Walter	1990	Compil.
Blues With A Feeling	Little Walter	1990	Compil.
16 Greatest Hits	Little Walter	1990	Compil.
The Neglected Masters	Little Walter	1990	Single
Boss Blues Harmonica Vol. 1	Little Walter	1989	Compil.
My Babe 20 Blues Classics	Little Walter	1989	Compil.
Blues Brothers 18 R 'n' B Classics	Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Lowell Fulson, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Milton, Buddy Guy, Little Walter	1989	Compil.
The Best Of Little Walter Volume Two	Little Walter	1989	Compil.
Little Walter	Little Walter	1989	Compil.
The Little Walter Collection - 20 Blues Greats	Little Walter	1987	Compil.
The Best Of Little Walter Vol. 2	Little Walter	1985	Compil.
Chess Masters - Little Walter Vol. 2	Little Walter	1983	Compil.
...Got Blues With A Feeling	Little Walter	1982	Compil.
Live In Chicago	Little Walter & Otis Rush	1982	Album
Juke / My Babe	Little Walter	1982	Single
Superharps 1967 To 1977	Billy Boy Arnold / Little Walter	1979	Single
Blue And Lonesome	Little Walter	1978	Compil.
Blue Midnight	Little Walter	1978	Compil.
Southern Feeling	Little Walter	1978	Compil.
Super Blues Session	Bo Diddley, Little Walter, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf	1976	Compil.
At Peppers Lounge Chicago Vol. 2	Little Walter & Earl Hooker	1975	Album
At Peppers Lounge Chicago	Little Walter, Sam Lay, Eddie Taylor, Louis Myers, Earl Hooker	1975	Album
Confessin' The Blues	Little Walter	1974	Compil.
Boss Blues Harmonica	Little Walter	1972	Compil.
Thunderbird	Little Walter	1971	Compil.
We Three Kings	Muddy Waters - Little Walter - Howlin' Wolf	1971	Compil.
Chicago Bound	Jimmy Rogers with Little Walter, Muddy Waters	1970	Compil.
Quarter To Twelve	Little Walter	1969	Compil.
Hate To See You Go	Little Walter	1969	Compil.
Super Blues	Bo Diddley, Little Walter, Muddy Waters	1967	Album
Mean Ole Frisco / Blue And Lonesome	Little Walter	1965	Single
My Babe/You Better Watch Yourself	Little Walter	1964	Single
I'm A Businessman	Little Walter	1964	Single
Shake Dancer / Diggin' My Potatoes	Little Walter	1964	Single
Up The Line	Little Walter	1963	Single
Just You Fool / I Got To Find My Baby	Little Walter	1962	Single
Crazy For My Baby / Crazy Legs	Little Walter	1961	Single
I Don't Play / As Long As I Have You	Little Walter	1961	Single
Ah'w Baby / I Had My Fun	Little Walter	1960	Single
My Babe	Little Walter	1960	Single
My Baby Is Sweeter / Crazy Mixed Up World	Little Walter	1959	Single
Me And Piney Brown	Little Walter	1959	Single
Everything Gonna Be Alright / Back Track	Little Walter	1959	Single
The Tottle	Little Walter	1958	Single
The Toddle	Little Walter	1958	Album
The Best Of Little Walter	Little Walter	1957	Compil.
Nobody But You / Everybody Needs Somebody	Little Walter & His Jukes / Little Walter	1957	Single
Boom, Boom Out Goes The Lights / Temperature	Little Walter	1957	Single
It's Too Late Brother / Take Me Back	Little Walter	1956	Single
Teenage Beat / Just A Feeling	Little Walter	1956	Single
Mellow Down Easy	Little Walter	1954	Album
Don't Have To Hunt No More / Tonight With A Fool	Little Walter	1953	Single
Quarter To Twelve	Little Walter	1953	Compil.
Rollin' Blues	Little Walter	1953	Album
Juke / Can't Hold Out Much Longer	Little Walter	1952	Single
Mean Old World / Sad Hours	Little Walter And The Nightcaps	1952	Album
Ora-Nelle Blues / I Just Keep Loving Her	Little Walter	1947	Single
La Do Dada / Juke	Dale Hawkins / Little Walter		Single
Mississippi Blues	Muddy Waters With Little Walter		Single
CHESSmasters Vol. 1	Little Walter		Compil.
My Babe / Here Comes The Judge	Little Walter, Pigmeat Markham		Single

External Links

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Acknowledgements

To all the music fans that are contributing on Discogs, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Thanks to Franz Flückiger for providing Storygram used to visualize band membership.

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