Chester Burnett, aka Howlin 'Wolf (1910–1976), was discovered in Memphis by Sam Phillips. Then he went to Chicago where he released a row of blues classics with the Chess label in the fifties / sixties. Raw and unpolished, electric blues, characterized by its voluminous, creaky and raging vocals, often topped off with an ominous howl. His repertoire, with songs such as Spoonful, Smokestack Lightnin
… 'and How Many More Years, were an inexhaustible source of inspiration for British blues bands such as Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Cream and Led Zeppelin in the 1960s. The first thought when seeing these black and white concert images, supplemented with mostly hilarious interview images from the dressing room, is the question on which dusty shelf has hidden all this beauty all these years. There are not so many live registrations of this impressive singer, guitarist and harmonica player. Howlin 'Wolf was a thoroughbred entertainer who takes the stage on all fours in opener Taildragger and, with lots of pleasantly disturbed facial expressions and motor skills, grips the audience for an hour. Historical images of a great artist. (MR)more