Wikipedia:Today's featured list/March 20, 2023

The earliest recordings of Little Walter, an American blues artist, were as a sideman, when he contributed harmonica to songs by Chicago blues musicians such as Jimmy Rogers and Muddy Waters. As the featured artist, Little Walter recorded the instrumental "Juke" in 1952. The single reached number one on Billboard's Rhythm and Blues chart and launched his career as a solo artist. A string of popular singles followed, including "Mean Old World", "Blues with a Feeling", and "Key to the Highway". His "My Babe" was one of the biggest R&B sellers of 1955. In addition to his solo career, Little Walter continued to record harmonica for songs by other artists. He recorded at a time when blues musicians were primarily singles artists. His records were released on Checker Records, run by the Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil. The one album released during his lifetime is a compilation issued by Chess Records, titled The Best of Little Walter (1958). Rolling Stone ranked it at number 198 in its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". (Full list...)