Reissue of prime 1964 live set by blues legend

This reissue puts Acrobat’s original 2003 UK release into print in the U.S. without any changes to the song lineup. Included are nine prime slices of the legendary bluesman Howlin’ Wolf in his prime, accompanied by the stellar quartet of Sunnyland Slim (piano), Hubert Sumlin (guitar), Willie Dixon (bass) and Clifton James (drums). At the time of this 1964 performance in Germany, Wolf was riding the crest of a decade’s work at Chess, five years success with Dixon’s material, and the additional spotlight cast by the British Invasion’s devotion to American blues. Wolf split with Dixon soon after this tour and found additional success with a return to original material, making this something of a capstone to their collaboration. The mono recording doesn’t compare to modern recordings, but even with its limited dynamic range (the lows don’t thump, the highs don’t sizzle), it’s quite listenable. Wolf’s voice is strong and the band plays the standard progressions with the enthusiasm of renewed discovery. Sunnyland Slim and Hubert Sumlin are particularly inventive as they prod, dodge and annotate Wolf’s vocals. Even the instrumental “Rockin’ the Blues” is stuffed with solid combo playing and swinging solos. This is a must have for any Howlin’ Wolf fan, and a terrific complement to a studio hits package like His Best or The Definitive Collection. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]