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Little Walter
Little Walter was a renowned blues harmonica player and composer whose innovative approach to the instrument has significantly influenced subsequent generations of musicians. Born on May 1, 1930, in Marksville, Louisiana, Walter Jacobs left school at the age of 12 to support himself through various odd jobs and busking across southern cities, including Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Missouri.
In 1945, he moved to Chicago, where he initially found work as a guitarist. However, his exceptional harmonica skills soon drew more attention. Frustrated by the challenge of being overshadowed by electric guitarists, Jacobs adopted a then-uncommon amplification technique. Unlike his peers, he pushed his amplifiers beyond their intended limits, exploring radical new timbres and sonic effects that had never before been heard from a harmonica—or any other instrument, for that matter. He is often recognized as the first musician to purposefully employ electronic distortion.
Walter's recording career began in 1947, and he joined Muddy Waters' band from 1948 to 1952, during which he primarily played unamplified harmonica. Nonetheless, he was hired by Chess Records to contribute to many of Muddy's recordings throughout the 1950s. In 1952, his instrumental track "Juke" reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart, where it remained for eight weeks, marking it as the only harmonica instrumental to achieve this honor. Between 1952 and 1958, Little Walter secured fourteen top-ten hits on the Billboard R&B charts, including a second number one with "My Babe" in 1955—a level of commercial success that surpassed that of his former employer, Waters.
As the late 1950s approached, Walter's fame and fortune began to wane. Struggling with alcoholism and known for his volatile temperament, his life took a tragic turn. He died in his sleep on February 15, 1968, at the home of a girlfriend in Chicago, following a fight outside a club where he had performed.
Regarded as the "king of all post-war blues harpists," Little Walter is credited by blues historians for establishing the standard vocabulary for modern blues and blues rock harmonica players. His contributions were recognized posthumously when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 as a sideman. He passed away at the age of 37 in Chicago, Illinois.
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Description
Otis Rush & Little Walter – Live At The Chicago Blues Festival - NOS SEALED MINT
- Grading description below, done with The Vinyl Archivist photo examples in mind
- Records are packaged with a plastic sleeve, the LP is in its inner sleeve (or a fresh white one if the original is sketchy, we send you both), separate from the cover and shipped within inserts in a standard cardboard record mailer
- We offer discounted shipping on multiple records: calculated shipping for the first one and $2 for each additional one
SRO Records Record Grading Guide:
SEALED:
Vinyl: Assumed mint, unverified until opened.
Sleeve: Visible through shrink wrap, graded as above.
NM (Near Mint):
Vinyl: Nearly flawless, with possible minor scuffs or hairlines only visible under strong light.
Sleeve: Appears new, as if freshly printed.
EX (Excellent):
Vinyl: Bright, with minor surface wear and hairlines, not affecting play.
Sleeve: May have faint creases or abrasions, but artwork is clean.
VG++ (Very Good Plus Plus):
Vinyl: Visible wear, hairlines, and scuffs, but retains luster and plays with minimal noise.
Sleeve: Noticeable wear, corner dings, and possible fading, but no seam splits.
VG+ (Very Good Plus):
Vinyl: Obvious wear and hairlines, plays with some noise but no major sound issues.
Sleeve: Worn with creases, chipping, and possible seam wear.
Here's the SRO Records line in the sand. Anything below VG+, unless it's rare, or just awesome, we're NOT going to sell online, much less go through the hassle of an ultrasonic cleaning, we're going to put it in one of many $10 Record boxes that we sell at Record Conventions and events. Some will wind up in the $1 Box, just to get it back out into the world for someone to enjoy.
VG (Very Good):
Vinyl: Dull appearance with many hairlines and scuffs, plays with persistent noise but no skips.
Sleeve: Worn with possible seam splits and moderate ringwear.
VG- (Very Good Minus):
Vinyl: Numerous marks and scratches, plays with significant noise but music usually overpowers flaws.
Sleeve: Rough appearance with possible seam splits and water damage.
G+ (Good Plus):
Vinyl: Many marks, somehow plays without skipping despite significant noise.
Sleeve: Heavy ring wear and damage, possible large seam splits.
SRO Records Office
Record Testing Equipment:
Turntable:
Yamaha Direct Drive YP-D6
Ortofon VMS 20 E Mk II Cartridge
Amplification:
Yamaha Natural Sound Receiver
Speakers:
JBL 4312 Studio
We're Not Happy Until You're Not Happy Dept.
We kid! Since 1983, we don't exist without happy customers! We offer hassle-free returns on all vinyl LP record albums that are returned in the exact condition they were sent. We cannot accept returns on factory sealed/mint new/unopened lp albums that have been opened. Please send us a message if you have any questions, concerns, or issues with your purchase; please do not open a return or an eBay case without contacting us first, we will make it right!
We are professional, quite reasonable and are ALWAYS willing to work with customers to resolve any issue they may have with their purchase!
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