Howlin' Wolf (aka Chester Arthur Burnett)
Instrument(s): Guitar (rhythm), Harmonica, Voice
Life span: b. June 10, 1910, West Point, Mississippi; d. January 10, 1976 Hines,
Illinois.
Style synopsis:
The Wolf began playing "folk blues" acoustic music when he got his
first guitar in 1928. Influences include Charlie Patton and Sonny Boy
Williamson (Rice Miller). Although he began in an acoustic style, he
is best known for his loud and boisterous electric blues. This part of
his career began flowering in post-war Memphis, Tennessee. He
performed on local radio station KWEM and later cut some sides for Sam
Phillips of the famous Sun recording studios. By 1953, The Wolf had
arrived in Chicago where he became a full time blues musician at Chess
Records. Musicians in Wolf's band included blues great Willie Dixon
(bass), Willie Johnson (gtr.), and Earl Phillips on drums. Hubert
Sumlin later replaced Willie Johnson. It is maintained by some blues
writers that Delta Blues artists, of which Wolf is an example, came
from a tribe in Africa which communicates microtonally, that is, in
harmonic increments that are smaller than those in the European 12 tone
scale. In addition to the polyrhythmic playing, it is what sets these
blues apart not only from other types of music but also from other
types of blues. The feeling produced can often be very eerie and
"magical" as if the music somehow escapes time and the harmonic
constraints of European music.
Representative Recordings:
This writer recommends the Chess Box, even though box sets are frowned on by the FAQ. Purchasers of
the box set can feel fairly secure that they have everything of note that The Wolf recorded -- and it all
comes in one package.
Contributor: Gordon McGregor (U3378@WVMVN.WVNET.EDU)
Contributor's Comments: As Sam Phillips said, "When I heard Howlin' Wolf, I said, 'This is
for me. This is where the soul of man never dies.'"
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