Muddy Waters was among the first to bring the electric guitar into the blues, and this live recording is one of the best showcases of his talent. It’s the second live album recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival I’ve reviewed for this list, the first being Duke Ellington’s in 1956, but this album is of course wildly different. Featuring boundless energy, powerful rhythms, and soulful vocal performances, this is a defining album for the genre, introducing blues to a much wider audience than it previously had.

I’m going to be honest: the harmonica makes this album. Something about its mournful, harmonious voice just propels these already good songs into the realm of pure excellence. Without James Cotton’s harmonica playing, this album wouldn’t be nearly as memorable as it is. Its fluttering, unsteady and shimmering tone injects passion into the slow songs and vigor into the fast songs. But it’s not the only virtue this album has. Francis Clay’s drumming makes the uptempo tracks exhilarating, but it’s the slow tracks where the percussion really shines. The drums give slower songs a feeling of sheer power and strength not seen anywhere else in music at the time. Each and every beat is like a punch to the chest, and I mean that in the best possible way. Couple that with Otis Spann’s piano and Muddy Water’s guitar and vocals, and you’ve got a recipe for some of the best classic blues ever put to record.

Muddy with his legendary Fender Telecaster. Image source: telegraph.co.uk

When it comes to which specific track is the best, that’s a tough choice, but I’d have to say “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man” takes the cake. With a slower tempo, stomping beat, and an absolutely iconic hook, it’s probably the strongest and most memorable track on the entire record. The harmonica, piano, guitar, and bass just seem to kind of meld together into a single sound, and the result is just pure blues bliss. Some other great tracks include the opener “I’ve Got My Brand on You”, “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” and “I’ve Got My Mojo Working,” which is so good that the audience makes them play it twice. But, second to “Hoochie Coochie Man,” the highlight of the record has to be the haunting closer “Goodbye Newport Blues.” It’s by far the gloomiest track the album has to offer, and it ends the concert on a high, if depressing, note.

Muddy Waters at Newport is simply put one of the greatest blues albums of the decade, if not of all time. It’s got melodies and rhythms that’ll stick in your head for days, and is possibly the best showcase of Muddy Water’s musical genius of his entire catalog. If you’re not familiar with the blues, this is an incredible place to start, and if you’re a fan of the blues, you’ve probably already heard it, but just listen to it anyway.

Favorite Tracks: “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man,” “Goodbye Newport Blues,” “I’ve Got My Brand on You”

Next Up: Sunday at the Village Vanguard by Bill Evans Trio (1961)