Muddy Waters - Folk Singer

Muddy's "unplugged" album was cut in September of 1963 and still sounds fresh and vital today. It was Muddy simply returning to his original style on a plain acoustic guitar in a well-tuned room with Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on second acoustic guitar. The nine tracks are divvied up between full rhythm section treatments with Buddy and Muddy as a duo and the final track, "Feel Like Going Home," which Waters approaches solo. What makes this version of the album a worthwhile buy is the inclusion of five bonus tracks from his next two sessions: An April 1964 session brings us Willie Dixon's "The Same Thing" and Muddy's "You Can't Lose What You Never Had," while the October 1964 session features J.T. Brown on sax and clarinet on "Short Dress Woman" and "My John the Conqueror Root," as well as "Put Me in Your Lay Away," another strong side. Folk Singer offers both sides of Muddy from the early '60s. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide

Name Credits Andy McKaie Reissue Producer Beth Stempel Reissue Producer, Reissue Production Coordination Bob Schnieders Liner Notes, Coordination Buddy Guy Guitar Clifton James Drums Don Bronstein Cover Design, Photography, Artwork, Design Erick Labson Remixing, Digital Remastering, Mastering Francis Clay Drums J.T. Brown Clarinet, Sax (Tenor) James Cotton Harmonica Jim Marshall Photography Johnny Lee Reissue Design Mary Katherine Aldin Liner Notes Meire Murakami Reissue Design Milton Rector Bass Muddy Waters Vocals, Guitar Otis Spann Piano Pee Wee Madison Guitar Ralph Bass Liner Notes, Producer Ron Malo Engineer S.P. Leary Drums Sammy Lawhorn Guitar Vartan Art Direction, Reissue Art Director Willie Dixon Bass, Producer Willie Dixon Band Producer, Bass