Willie Dixon’s Chicago blues gets a triple workout

Howlin Wolf ( Chester Arthur Burnett 1910 – 1976 )

This is the original recording by Howlin Wolf ( Chester Arthur Burnett 1910 – 1976) with the Chess Records house band.

Little Red Rooster was one of many penned by Willie Dixon for the Chess artists. The song builds on early blues songs about a red rooster but it is more than that. Willie Dixon could reshape those songs into some new which he did.

Howlin Wolf had impeccable phrasing and emphasis, as well as being a star harp an slide slide guitar player. Backing him are Hubert Sumlin guitar, Johnny Jones piano, Willie Dixon bass, and Sam Lay drums. Other musicians cover this song but none get the same groove.

While Howlin Wolf and Chess had trouble selling urban blues in the United States, the British rock groups were covering tunes like Little Red Rooster and making hits of them.

The Rolling Stones covered Howlin Wolf’s Little Red Rooster along with other Chess blues artists. Here’s there version which is admirable if not in the same class as the original.

Howlin Wolf recorded Little Red Rooster again in London 1970 (released as The London Sessions) with Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones rhythm section. Clapton is playing slide, Charlie Watts drums, Bill Wyman bass, and from Chess Layfayette Leake piano and Hubert Sumlin guitar.

The single or double CD of The London Sessions is well worth owning if you like blues and the crossover that happened during the British invasion.

When I worked at Island Computer, The London Sessions was in rotation almost daily which drove a few people crazy. It’s always fun to listen to Howlin Wolf give Eric Clapton and the band instructions on how to play the blues.