Muddy Waters transformed the soul of the rural South into the sound of the city, electrifying the blues at a pivotal point in the early post-World War II period. He popularized the “blues band” format, which shaped the Chicago blues sound and laid the cornerstone for rock & roll. His recorded legacy is one of the great musical treasures of the 20th Century, which heavily influenced such celebrated artists as The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, to name a few. This quintessential remastered edition compiles 27 fabulous studio tracks by Waters accompanied by such great musicians as Little Walter, James Cotton, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Rogers, Earl Hooker, Otis Spann, and Willie Smith. Contained here is the cream of the crop from Muddy Water’s hitmaking stretch for Chess Records between 1956 and 1962, including well-know numbers like “Got My Mojo Working”, “Double Trouble”, “Real Love” and “I Feel Good”, among many others. This material was indispensable in defining the exact nature of the Chicago electric blues style

PERSONNEL:

MUDDY WATERS, vocals and guitar, plus:

Little Walter, James Cotton (harmonica)
Pat Hare, Matt “Guitar” Murphy (guitar)
Willie Dixon, Andrew Stephenson (bass)
Otis Spann (piano)
Francis Clay, Willie Smith (drums), among others.

Recorded in Chicago, between 1956 and 1962.
Original recordings produced by Leonard & Phil Chess, and Willie Dixon.