HOWLIN’ WOLF, MUDDY WATERS & BO DIDDLEY / “Sweet Little Angel”

Blues is the deep foundation of 20th century Black music. Rap is 21st century blues. The parallels are numerous, some similarities are obvious others require a second look to discern, nevertheless, the relationship is undisputable. Note that both are homemade; neither formal education nor mainstream industry producers added anything significant to either form. Blues musicians were largely untutored and created their music guided by their guts and their imaginations. Today we have Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Q-Tip; back then we had Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley. Here’s a little trivia challenge: match the birth names to the above mentioned rappers and blues singers. Who is Ellas McDaniels, Curtis Jackson, Chester Burnett, Shawn Carter, McKinley Morganfield and Jonathan Davis? (The answers are at the bottom.) Is rap more raw and raunchy than the blues was? As far as recordings go, maybe rap is more raw, more raunchy, but in live performances, well, it got pretty raw and raunchy in the juke joint. Rather than comparing and contrasting the two forms, I’m more interested in helping people understand that both blues and rap occupy similar positions within the context of Black musical traditions. Both of them are oppositional by nature and both of are a means by which young men with few other options can potentially make a handsome living. 50 Cent may be a bad somebody, but was he any badder than Leadbelly who sang his way out of prison—twice?! Regardless of whom you consider the badder, my point is that both blues and rap offered these men an opportunity. Although the details are different, in many important aspects the two forms are similar, and sometimes even identical. Check out these major progenitors of what came to be known as electrified city blues. Mississippi-born and Chicago-based Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf are two of the most important founders of modern blues. muddy waters.jpg Muddy "Hoochie Coochie Man" Waters is credited with being the main proponent of electrifying the delta blues tradition when he arrived in Chicago. howlin' wolf.jpg Howlin' Wolf was a huge, three-hundred-plus pound man whose demeanor was menacing if not downright malevolent. Wolf's specialty was a fearsome and intense vocal style that included liberal use of gravelly-voiced moans, groans and hollers. bo diddley.JPG Bo Diddley is a popularizer who is most known for playing the dozens in his songs with lines such as “your mama so ugly she had to sneak up on a glass water to get a drink.” Each of these three men had out-sized, almost mythic personalities as well as instantly identifiable sounds and signature singing styles. Although Muddy was undoubtedly the best known and most popular of the trio, Howlin’ Wolf proclaims himself the King and Muddy does not dispute him. Bo Diddley for his part, wisely casts himself as a second generation youngster by referring to “Daddy” Muddy and “Uncle” Wolf and generally taking a differential roll in terms of his vocal work. The Super Super Blues Band session from which the two tracks are taken was a one-off battle royale—throw some heavyweights in the ring together and see what happens. Predictably there is a lot of bragging and boasting, but on the other hand, and equally predictably, there is a bunch of great music. The band is a blues dream band. Guitarist Hubert Sumlin has played rhythm guitar on more great Chicago blues recordings than any other two guitarists combined. Pianist Otis Spann was the dean of blues piano playing. And Buddy Guy, the wild man of the blues, picks up the bass for this session and offers incredible support that is full of improvisation and spontaneity. Adding Cookie Vee as a backing vocalist and tambourine player is a brilliant anomaly. Probably a Bo Diddley suggestion, Cookie fits in as though her position was pre-ordained as a regular member of the blues band. The hard-hitting drummer is Clifton James. Yes, the arrangements are a bit sloppy at times. Yes, there are a few miscues. But damn this is some joyful, down home blues that offers a peek into the awesome power of a late night, Southside Chicago blues session. This is the kind of music that if somebody has to explain everything to you, then you will never get it. And speaking of getting it, here are the trivia answers: Bo Diddley = Ellas McDaniels 50 Cent = Curtis Jackson Howlin’ Wolf = Chester Burnett Jay-Z = Shawn Carter Muddy Waters = McKinley Morganfield Q-Tip = Jonathan Davis —Kalamu ya Salaam          A lot in common       I think you got this one right, Baba. I've thought for a long time that rap has a lot more in common with blues than it has in common with jazz. (Although, for some reason, rap is often compared to jazz.) To your list I would add that both often use "common" or "street" language, both are overwhelmingly male-dominated (as you implied), and both (at least initially) were based on vocalists being able to loosely improvise over the rhythm. (In both cases, I mean 'improvise' as in, decide what to sing/rap in the moment, not necessarily invent new lyrics on the spot.) The two genres definitely have a lot in common. One specific comment about the music. When "Sweet Little Angel" came on, I thought Howlin' Wolf was singing, "I like the way she spreads her legs." I was thinking, "Damn. That's wild." Then I realized he was actually saying, "I like the way she spreads her wings." Although, if you think about it—this being the raunchy, low-down blues and all—"spreads her legs" is probably exactly what he means. ... And don't you think Bo Diddley sounds just like James Brown on this record? Mtume ya Salaam

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