Hubert Sumlin/IL,USA 2003

Hubert Sumlin was highly regarded as Howlin’ Wolf’s right-hand guitarist from the 1950s to nearly 1960s, and was an active member of the blues scene. He passed away in December 2011 at the age of 79. This 62-minute recording of his precious final years at a club gig in Illinois, USA on June 14, 2003, was taken from a good audience master released by a taper in recent years. Since it was a jam session-like gig, Sumlin was at the center, blues drum master Willie Smith was on drums, and depending on the song, Carrie Bell and Bob Margolin were invited to take charge of vocals. Most of Wolf’s representative songs were played by Sumlin, so on “KILLING FLOOR” Sumlin not only played the guitar but also sang, making it a truly original performance. Since he himself has rarely been in the spotlight until now, this is a must-listen for real blues fans. There are countless guitar players who worship him, including Jimi Hendrix, and the memorial benefit concert held in February 2012 at the Apollo Theater in New York featured an all-star line-up including Keith Richards, Clapton, Steve Jordan, Willie Weeks, Doyle Bramhall II, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, and Elvis Costello, making it a must-see for anyone wanting to know the extent of his influence. Recorded at Blues On The Fox, Aurora, IL, USA June 14th 2003 : Audience recording 1. Introductions by Bob Koester from DELMARK Records 2. I’M READY 3. Unknown 4. SLOPPY DRUNK 5. I’LL TAKE CARE OF YOU 6. Introductions to Hubert Sumlin – KILLING FLOOR 7. GOIN’ DOWN SLOW 8. Unknown 9. BUILD FOR COMFORT 10. Introductions to Carye Bell – LOW DOWN DIRTY SHAME 11. LEAVING IN THE MORNING 12. Unknown 13. GOT MY MOJO WORKIN’ Hubert Sumlin – guitar, lead vocals (Track 6,8) / Bob Margolin – guitar, lead vocals (Track 2,3,9,13) / Carey Bell – harp, lead vocals (Track 10,11) / Mookie Brill – upright bass, lead vocals (Track 5) / Willie “Big Eyes” Smith – drums, lead vovals (Track 4)