Label: Rhino Records.
Release Date: 1992.
Recording Time: 59 minutes.
Release Info: Studio Recording.
Styles: Harmonica Blues; Early R&B; Electric Blues; Electric Chicago Blues; Electric Harmonica Blues; Juke Joint Blues; Regional Blues; Slide Guitar Blues; Swamp Blues.
Vol. 4: Harmonica Classics is a typically ace installment of the Blues Masters series has examples par excellence from most of the major electric blues harmonica geniuses, including Little Walter, Junior Wells, Sonny Boy Williamson, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Billy Boy Arnold, Lazy Lester, and Jimmy Reed. And while there are a few expected classics here (Little Walter's "Juke," Sonny Boy Williamson's "Help Me," Junior Wells' "Messin' with the Kid," Slim Harpo's "I Got Love if You Want It"), there are numerous delightful obscurities, like Jerry "Boogie" McCain's "Steady," Walter Horton's "Easy" (credited to Jimmy & Walter), and Snooky Pryor's "Boogie Twist." Charlie Musselwhite's 11-minute adaptation of the jazz tune "Christo Redemptor" is superb and challenges conventional ideas of what should and shouldn't be done with blues harmonica. - Review by Richie Unterberger.
Credits: Bob Anderson - bass; Billy Boy Arnold - composer, harmonica, performer, primary artist, vocals; Jerome Arnold - bass; Kenneth Banks - bass; Fred Below - drums; Elvin Bishop - guitar; Michael Bloomfield - guitar; Jackie Brenston - composer; Denny Bruce - producer; Chester Burnett - composer; Paul Butterfield - harmonica, performer, vocals; The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - performer, primary artist; Joe Carter - guitar, performer, vocals; Cam Charters - producer; Chicago Blues Band - performer, primary artist; Fran Christina - drums; James Cotton - harmonica, performer, vocals; James Cotton Blues Band - performer, primary artist; Leonard Davis - drums; Jimmy DeBerry - guitar; Bo Diddley - guitar; Willie Dixon - bass; Al Duncan - drums; Elgin Edmonds - drums; Bill Emerson - organ; Clarence "Jockey" Etinne - drums; The Fabulous Thunderbirds - performer, primary artist; Keith Ferguson - bass; Al Foreman - guitar; guitar Gable - guitar; Barry Goldberg - drums; Henry Gray - piano; Buddy Guy - guitar; Pat Hare - guitar; Slim Harpo - composer, harmonica, performer, primary artist, vocals; Big Walter Horton - composer, harmonica; Howlin' Wolf - performer, primary artist, vocals; Jimmy & Walter - performer; Luther "guitar Junior" Johnson - guitar; Johnny Junious - drums; Cub Koda - liner notes; Sam Lay - drums; Lazy Lester - harmonica, performer, primary artist, vocals; Lafayette Leake - organ; S.P. Leary - drums; Levinsky - violin; Little Walter - composer, harmonica, performer, primary artist; Little Walter & His Night Cats - performer; Robert Lockwood, Jr. - composer; Mel London - composer; Marcel Louiguy - composer; Coy "Hot Shot" Love - composer, harmonica, performer, primary artist, vocals; James "Pee Wee" Madison - guitar; Harvey Mandel - guitar; Bobby McBride - guitar; Jerry "Boogie" McCain - composer, harmonica, performer, primary artist; Robert McCoy - piano; J.D. Miller - composer; Matt "Guitar" Murphy - guitar; Charlie Musselwhite - harmonica, performer, primary artist; Jack Myers - bass; Mark Naftalin - piano; Willie Nix - drums; Duke Pearson - composer; Fats Perrodin - bass; Earl Phillips - drums; Snooky Pryor - composer, harmonica, performer, primary artist, vocals; Milton Rector - bass; Jimmy Reed - composer, harmonica, performer, primary artist; Jimmy Rogers - guitar; George "Harmonica" Smith - harmonica, primary artist, vocals; Walter "Kid" Smith - guitar; Otis Spann - piano; Houston Stokes - drums; Warren Storm - drums; Hubert Sumlin - guitar; Eddie Taylor - guitar; James Vaughn - guitar; Mose Vinson - piano; Muddy Waters - guitar; Junior Wells - harmonica, performer, vocals; Junior Wells' Chicago Blues Band - performer, primary artist; Ivory Williams - bass; Jody Williams - guitar; Sonny Boy Williamson II - composer, performer, primary artist; Sonny Boy Williamson I - harmonica, performer, vocals; Kim Wilson - harmonica; Lawrence Little Sonny Wimberly - bass; Big John Wrencher - harmonica, performer, primary artist.
Tracks: 1) Juke - Little Walter And His Night Cats; 2) Ends and Odds - Jimmy Reed; 3) Rocket 88 - Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet; 4) Help Me - Sonny Boy Williamson; 5) Messin' with the Kid - Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band; 6) Blues with a Feeling - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band; 7) Sugar Coated Love - Lazy Lester; 8) Steady - Jerry McCain; 9) I'll Be Around - Howlin' Wolf; 10) I Was Fooled - Billy Boy Arnold; 11) Take a Little Walk with Me - Big John Wrencher with Joe Carter; 12) Easy - Jimmy & Walter; 13) Boogie Twist - Snooky Pryor; 14) Wolf Call Boogie - Hot Shot Love; 15) Last Night - George "Harmonica" Smith And The Chicago Blues Band; 16) I Got Love if You Want It - Slim Harpo; 17) Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White - The Fabulous Thunderbirds; 18) Christo Redemptor - Charlie Musselwhite.