1988, Music

The Chess Box (1988, Chess) by Willie Dixon

So Dixon is unlike pretty much all the other major figures in post-war blues in that he rarely led groups. He was more of a songwriter and producer (and, of course, bassist). He’s only the frontman on something like 5 or 6 of these songs.

But he’s behind all the rest of them in the other ways. And that’s the really crazy and impressive thing about him: he had this huge impact on the blues and rock and roll, but he rarely took up that role that we would expect someone like him should have. There’s an argument to be made that he’s as important or more important than the Wolf or Muddy Waters, in part because he had more stylistic range but also because he was so responsible for so much of what became iconic blues of the period.

Fascinating.

9/10

  1. Little Walter: “My Babe”
    • Drums – Fred Below
    • Guitar – Leonard Caston, Robert Lockwood Jr.
    • Vocals, Harmonica – Little Walter
    • Written-By, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 2:40
  2. Willie Dixon With The Big Three Trio: “Violent Love”
    • Backing Vocals, Guitar – Ollie Crawford
    • Vocals, Piano – Leonard “Baby Doo” Caston
    • Written-By, Lead Vocals, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 2:20
  3. Eddie Boyd: “Third Degree”
    • Drums – Percy Walker
    • Guitar – Lee Cooper
    • Tenor Saxophone – Little Sax Crowder
    • Written-By, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • Written-By, Piano, Vocals – Eddie Boyd
    • 3:13
  4. Willie Mabon: “Seventh Son”
    • Piano, Vocals – Willie Mabon
    • Written-By – Willie Dixon
    • 2:52
  5. Willie Dixon: “Crazy For My Baby”
    • Backing Vocals, Guitar – Ollie Crawford
    • Drums – Fred Below
    • Piano – Lafayette Leake
    • Tenor Saxophone – Harold Ashby
    • Written-By, Vocals, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 2:49
  6. Willie Dixon: “Pain In My Heart”
    • Drums – Fred Below
    • Piano – Lafayette Leake
    • Tenor Saxophone – Harold Ashby
    • Written-By, Vocals, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 3:18
  7. Muddy Waters: “Hoochie Coochie Man”
    • Drums – Fred Below
    • Guitar – Jimmy Rogers
    • Harmonica – Little Walter
    • Piano – Otis Spann
    • Vocals, Guitar – Muddy Waters
    • Written-By, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 2:45
  8. Howlin’ Wolf: “Evil”
    • Drums – Earl Phillips
    • Guitar – Hubert Sumlin, Jody Williams
    • Piano – Otis Spann
    • Vocals, Harmonica – Howlin’ Wolf
    • Written-By, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 2:52
  9. Little Walter: “Mellow Down Easy”
    • Drums – Fred Below
    • Guitar – Dave Myers, Robert Lockwood Jr.
    • Vocals, Harmonica – Little Walter
    • Written-By – Willie Dixon
    • 2:40
  10. Jimmy Witherspoon: “When The Lights Go Out”
    • Vocals – Jimmy Witherspoon
    • Written-By, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 2:50
  11. Muddy Waters: “Young Fashioned Ways”
    • Drums – Francey Clay
    • Guitar – Jimmy Rogers
    • Harmonica – Little Walter
    • Piano – Otis Spann
    • Vocals – Muddy Waters
    • Written-By – Willie Dixon
    • 2:59
  12. Bo Diddley: “Pretty Thing”
    • Drums – Frank Kirkland
    • Harmonica – Billy Boy Arnold
    • Maracas – Jerome Green
    • Vocals, Guitar – Bo Diddley
    • Written-By – Willie Dixon
    • 2:49
  13. Muddy Waters: “I’m Ready”
    • Drums – Fred Below
    • Guitar – Jimmy Rogers
    • Harmonica – Little Walter
    • Piano – Otis Spann
    • Vocals – Muddy Waters
    • Written-By, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 3:02
  14. Lowell Fulson: “Do Me Right”
    • Alto Saxophone – Earl Brown
    • Bass – Billie Hadnott
    • Piano – Lloyd Glenn
    • Tenor Saxophone – Eddie Chamblee
    • Vocals, Guitar – Lowell Fulson
    • Written-By – Willie Dixon
    • 2:52
  15. Muddy Waters: “I Just Want To Make Love To You”
    • Drums – Fred Below
    • Guitar – Jimmy Rogers
    • Harmonica – Little Walter
    • Piano – Otis Spann
    • Vocals, Guitar – Muddy Waters
    • Written-By, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 2:50
  16. Lowell Fulson: “Tollin’ Bells”
    • Bass – Billy Hadnott
    • Tenor Saxophone – Eddie Chamblee
    • Vocals, Guitar – Lowell Fulson
    • Written-By – Willie Dixon
    • 3:04
  17. Willie Dixon: “29 Ways”
    • Backing Vocals, Guitar – Ollie Crawford
    • Drums – Al Duncan
    • Piano – Lafayette Leake
    • Written-By, Bass, Vocals – Willie Dixon
    • 2:08
  18. Willie Dixon: “Walkin’ The Blues”
    • Drums, Percussion – Fred Below
    • Piano – Lafayette Leake
    • Written-By, Vocals, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 3:01
  19. Howlin’ Wolf: “Spoonful”
    • Drums – Fred Below
    • Guitar – Hubert Sumlin
    • Piano – Otis Spann
    • Vocals – Howlin’ Wolf
    • Written-By, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 2:45
  20. Otis Rush: “You Know My Love”
    • Bass Guitar – Matt Murphy
    • Drums – Odie Payne
    • Tenor Saxophone – Bob Neely
    • Vocals, Guitar – Otis Rush
    • Written-By, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 2:40
  21. Bo Diddley: “You Can’t Judge A Book By Its Cover”
    • Drums – Frank Kirkland
    • Maracas – Jerome Green
    • Vocals, Guitar – Bo Diddley
    • Written-By – Willie Dixon
    • 3:08
  22. Howlin’ Wolf: “I Ain’t Superstitious”
    • Bass Guitar – Jimmy Rogers
    • Drums – Sam Lay
    • Guitar – Hubert Sumlin
    • Piano – Henry Gray
    • Vocals, Guitar – Howlin’ Wolf
    • Written-By, Backing Vocals, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 2:52
  23. Muddy Waters: “You Need Love”
    • Drums – Casey Jones
    • Guitar – Earl Hooker
    • Organ – John “Big Moose” Walker
    • Tenor Saxophone – Ernest Cotton, J.T. Brown
    • Vocals – Muddy Waters
    • Written-By, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 2:39
  24. Howlin’ Wolf: “Little Red Rooster”
    • Drums – Sam Lay
    • Guitar – Hubert Sumlin
    • Piano – Johnny Jones
    • Vocals, Guitar – Howlin’ Wolf
    • Written-By – Willie Dixon
    • 2:25
  25. Howlin’ Wolf: “Back Door Man”
    • Drums – Fred Below
    • Guitar – Hubert Sumlin
    • Piano – Otis Spann
    • Vocals – Howlin’ Wolf
    • Written-By, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 2:48
  26. Little Walter: “Dead Presidents”
    • Bass Guitar – Jack Meyers
    • Drums – Al Duncan
    • Guitar – Buddy Guy
    • Organ – Billy Emerson
    • Piano – Lafayette Leake
    • Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Jarrett Gibson
    • Vocals, Harmonica – Little Walter
    • Written-By – Willie Dixon
    • 2:45
  27. Howlin’ Wolf: “Hidden Charms”
    • Baritone Saxophone – Donald Hankins
    • Bass – Willie Dixon
    • Bass Guitar – Buddy Guy
    • Drums – Sammy Lay
    • Guitar – Hubert Sumlin
    • Piano – Lafayette Leake
    • Tenor Saxophone – J.T. Brown
    • Vocals – Howlin’ Wolf
    • 2:21
  28. Muddy Waters: “You Shook Me”
    • Drums – Casey Jones
    • Guitar – Earl Hooker
    • Organ, Piano – John “Big Moose” Walker
    • Tenor Saxophone – Ernest Cotton, J.T. Brown
    • Vocals – Muddy Waters
    • Written-By, Bass – Willie Dixon
    • 2:40
  29. Sonny Boy Williamson II: “Bring It On Home”
    • Drums – Al Duncan
    • Electric Bass – Milton Rector
    • Guitar – Matt Murphy
    • Organ – Lafayette Leake
    • Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson II
    • Written-By – Willie Dixon
    • 2:33
  30. Howlin’ Wolf: “300 Pounds Of Joy”
    • Baritone Saxophone – Donald Hankins
    • Bass Guitar – Buddy Guy
    • Drums – Sammy Lay
    • Guitar – Hubert Sumlin
    • Piano – Lafayette Leake
    • Tenor Saxophone – J.T. Brown
    • Vocals – Howlin’ Wolf
    • Written-By – Willie Dixon
    • 3:02
  31. Willie Dixon: “Weak Brain, Narrow Mind”
    • Written-By, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – Willie Dixon
    • 4:24
  32. Koko Taylor: “Wang Dang Doodle”
    • Electric Bass – Jack Myers
    • Guitar – Johnny “Twist” Williams
    • Piano – Lafayette Leake
    • Tenor Saxophone – Gene Barge
    • Vocals – Koko Taylor
    • Written-By – Willie Dixon
    • 2:59
  33. Muddy Waters: “The Same Thing”
    • Bass – Donald “Duck” Dunn
    • Drums – Sammy Lay
    • Guitar – Mike Bloomfield
    • Harmonica – Paul Butterfield
    • Piano – Otis Spann
    • Vocals, Guitar – Muddy Waters
    • Written-By – Willie Dixon
    • 5:54
  34. Howlin’ Wolf: “Built For Comfort”
    • Baritone Saxophone – Donald Hankins
    • Bass – Willie Dixon
    • Bass Guitar – Buddy Guy
    • Drums – Sammy Lay
    • Guitar – Hubert Sumlin
    • Piano – Lafayette Leake
    • Tenor Saxophone – J.T. Brown
    • Vocals – Howlin’ Wolf
    • 2:33
  35. Little Milton: “I Can’t Quit You Baby”
    • Arranged By, Conductor – Gene Barge
    • Drums – Al Duncan
    • Producer – Calvin Carter
    • Vocals, Guitar – Little Milton
    • Written-By – Willie Dixon
    • 6:38
  36. Koko Taylor: “Insane Asylum”
    • Guitar – Buddy Guy, Johnny “Twist” Williams
    • Piano, Organ – Lafayette Leak
    • Tenor Saxophone – Gene Barg
    • Vocals – Koko Taylor
    • Written-By, Vocals, Producer – Willie Dixon

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