- Howlin' Wolf
aka Chester Arthur Burnett
Instrument(s): Guitar (rhythm), Harmonica, Voice
Life span: Born; June 10, 1910, West Point, Mississippi.
Died; January 10, 1976 Hines, Illinois.
Style synopsis: The Wolf began playing "folk blues" acoustic music when he got his first guitar in 1928. Influences include Charlie Patton and Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller). Although he began in an acoustic style,
he is best known for his loud and boisterous electric blues. This part of his career began flowering in post-war Memphis, Tennessee. He performed on local radio station KWEM and later cut some sides for Sam Phillips of the famous

Sun recording studios. By 1953, The Wolf had arrived in Chicago where he became a full time blues musician at Chess Records. Musicians in Wolf's band included blues great Willie Dixon (bass), Willie Johnson (gtr.), and Earl Phillips on drums. Hubert Sumlin later replaced Willie Johnson. It is maintained by some blues writers that Delta Blues artists,of which Wolf is an example, came from a tribe in Africa which communicates microtonally, that is, in harmonic increments that are smaller than those in the European 12 tone scale. In addition to the polyrhythmic playing, it is what sets these blues apart not only from other types of music but also from other types of blues. The feeling produced can often be very eerie and "magical" as if the music somehow escapes time and the harmonic constraints of European music.
Representative Recordings: The Chess Box set can fairly secure that you have everything of note that the Wolf recorded.

JAM WITH
HOWLIN' WOLF

Don't Dog Me Around
Tab

Don't Dog Me Around
Powertab

Killing Floor
Tab

Killing Floor
Powertab

Killing Floor
Backing Track

Little Red Rooster
Tab

Little Red Rooster
Powertab

Little Red Rooster
Sound Example

Smokestack Lightning
Tab

Smokestack Lightning
Powertab

Wang Dang Doddle
Tab