The London Muddy Waters Sessions

The London Muddy Waters Sessions is a studio album by Muddy Waters, released in 1972 on Chess Records. The concept was to combine American bluesmen with British blues/rock stars. The album was an attempt to capitalize on the British rediscovering of traditional blues music and blues artists. In 1971 Howlin' Wolf had made a similar album The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions.

The Players

The album features Waters on acoustic guitar, backed by Sammy Lawhorn and Rory Gallagher on guitar, Carey Bell Harrington on harmonica, Rick Grech on bass, George Fortune and Steve Winwood on piano and organ, Mitch Mitchell from Jimi Hendrix Experience and Herbie Novelle on drums and Rosetha Hightower on vocals, Ernie Royal and Joe Newman on trumpet, Garnett Brown on trombone and Seldon Powell on tenor saxophone.

Irish blues-rocker Gallagher, who began a successful solo career following the demise of his trio, Taste, provided bitten-off riffs and slightly speedy edge on tracks like "Young Fashion Ways". Winwood reprised his keyboard role on the Howlin' Wolf sessions, making appearances on three tracks. Fortune, a swinging-jazz-blues player, played on the remaining tracks.

Mitchell had worked with Georgie Fame's Blues Flames prior to joining the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and drew his greatest inspiration from jazzmen such as Elvin Jones, played on most of the album. On the shuffles like "I'm Ready" and "Blind Man Blues", the drummer is New York session veteran Novelle.

Grech was best known as one-fourth of Blind Faith, along with Winwood and two ex-Cream members, Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker (Clapton played on The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions). At this time, Grech was a member of Traffic, another band led by Winwood.

Blues harp man Carey Bell was essential. Like Muddy, Bell was born in Mississippi and came of age in Chicago; Like Lawhorn, he was a long-time member of Waters band, having previously worked with John Lee Hooker, Eddie Taylor and Earl Hooker, among others. Bell alternated between a standard Marine Band harp and the big double-key chromatic harp which is his specialty.

Track listing

1. "Blind Man Blues" (Lafayette Leake) – 3:30
2. "Key to the Highway" (McKinley Morganfield) – 2:24
3. "Young Fashion Ways" (Willie Dixon) – 4:22
4. "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town" (William Weldon) – 3:54
5. "Who's Gonna Be Your Sweet Man When I'm Gone" (McKinley Morganfield) – 5:03
6. "Walkin' Blues" (Willie Dixon) – 3:00
7. "I'm Ready" (Willie Dixon) – 4:08
8. "Sad Sad Day" (McKinley Morganfield) – 5:15
9. "I Don't Know Why" (Willie Dixon) – 4:00

Personnel

1. Muddy Waters - Slide guitar, vocals
2. Sammy Lawhorn – guitar
3. Rory Gallagher - guitar
4. Carey Bell - harmonica
5. Rick Grech - bass
6. George Fortune - piano and organ
7. Steve Winwood - piano and organ
8. Mitch Mitchell - drums
9. Herbie Novelle - drums
10. Rosetha Hightower - vocals
11. Ernie Royal - trumpet
12. Joe Newman - trumpet
13. Garnett Brown - trombone and
14. Seldon Powell - tenor saxophone