Big Walter Horton (aka Shakey Walter Horton, Mumbles, Tangle Eye)

Instrument(s): Harmonica, Voice

Life span: Born Apr. 6, 1917, Horn Lake, MS; Died Dec. 8, 1981, Chicago, IL

Style synopsis: He'll forever be overshadowed by his (little in name only) namesake, Little Walter, but Walter Horton was one of the greatest Chicago blues harp players, and the tragedy of his life was that he didn't show that talent often enough. He allegedly started recording with the Memphis Jug Band in 1927, but made his mark when he came to Memphis and recorded a couple of records for Sam Phillips. One of them was called "Easy." A slow, simple instrumental version of "I Almost Lost My Mind," featuring only harmonica and hesitant guitar, it's one of the classic harmonica records of all time. Horton simply plays the melody through five times, each time building in intensity, until by the end of the record your speakers sound like they're going to tear themselves off the wall. It's a vivid demonstration how much you can say without playing anything all that complicated. Horton went on to a brief stint in Muddy Waters' band, and played the classic (and quite simple) harp part on "Forty Days and Forty Nights." He didn't last long with Muddy, though, and knocked around doing various session and club gigs. He recorded his first solo album in the mid-sixties, and then in the late sixties and early seventies cut a series of albums that show just how good a harp player he was. He played very much in the Little Walter vein, with one of the deepest, heaviest tones of any harp player, and could say volumes with a single note. He could tear through a 12-bar boogie like a chainsaw through a popsicle stick, and then do a slow, masterful "Trouble in Mind" and make the harp cry. He was killed in 1981.

Representative Recordings: "Easy" is available on the Sun Records Harmonica Classics collection, Rounder SS-29, which also includes some of his other early Memphis sides. The Soul Of Blues Harmonica, Chess 9268, is his first solo album, including Buddy Guy and Willie Dixon. A good representative seventies album is Can't Keep Lovin You, Blind Pig 1484. And finally, one of the classic harmonica blues albums of all time is Big Walter Horton With Carey Bell, Alligator 4702, which pairs two great harp players, working together seamlessly.

Contributor: Ken Ficara (ficara@acm.org)

Contributor's Comments: "This harmonica blowing is really a mark for Walter -- it's not something he picked up. He was born to do it." -- Johnny Shines.

HTML-ized by: Ken Ficara (ficara@acm.org)