Why Muddy Waters?

Muddy was one of the pioneers, if not THE pioneer, of electric blues. He almost uniquely bridged the gap between acoustic Delta blues and the electric blues that became R&B and rock. As a young man he was one of the up-and-coming players in Clarksdale, MS, where he rubbed elbows with Son House and Bukka White and also met an even younger Robert Johnson. Coming to Chicago after WWII, he was forced to contend with noisy urban club audiences by hooking his slide guitar up to an amplifier -- and once you crank up the volume on the guitar, drums and bass aren't far behind.