''At Newport 1960'' is a live album by

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post- war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicag ...

recorded during his performance at the

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hir ...

on July 3, 1960. With his longtime backup band, Muddy Waters plays a mix of his older popular tunes and some newer compositions.

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock a ...

released the album in the United States on November 15, 1960. ''At Newport 1960'' is sometimes referred to as the first live blues album and has received critical acclaim. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' magazine included it at number 348 on its list of " 500 Greatest Albums of all Time". Along with the songs on '' The Best of Muddy Waters'' (1958), the album was an important influence on the emerging younger white blues scenes in the U.S. and U.K.

Background

Muddy Waters was one of the most popular blues artists of the 1950s. Beginning in 1948, he had fifteen singles that appeared on the ''Billboard'' Rhythm & Blues Records chart. His debut album, '' The Best of Muddy Waters'' (1958), contained twelve of his hits. However, by 1960, what had been the traditional blues audiences were moving away from Chicago-style blues towards the more polished R&B and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

sounds. Chess released ''Sings Big Bill Broonzy'' (1960), a collection of Muddy Waters' interpretations of songs by the blues musician

Big Bill Broonzy Big Bill Broonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley; June 26, 1903 – August 14, 1958) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country music to mostly African American audiences. In the 1930s ...

. When he performed at the

, his electric blues band consisted of

Otis Spann Otis Spann (March 21, 1924 or 1930April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician, whom many consider to be the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist. Early life Sources differ over Spann's early years. Some state that he was born in Jackson, Mis ...

(piano, vocals),

Pat Hare Auburn "Pat" Hare was a Memphis electric blues guitarist and singer. His heavily distorted, power chord–driven electric guitar performances in the early 1950s is considered an important precursor of heavy metal music. Palmer, Robert (1992). "C ...

(guitar), James Cotton (harmonica), Andrew Stevens (bass) and

Francis Clay Francis Clay (November 16, 1923 – January 21, 2008) was an American jazz and blues drummer, best known for his work behind Muddy Waters in the 1950s and 1960s, and as an original member of the James Cotton band. Clay's jazz-influenced style ...

(drums).

Recording

The gig was scheduled for Sunday afternoon, July 3. The day before, performances by

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

and singing group

Lambert, Hendricks and Ross Lambert, Hendricks & Ross were an American vocalese trio formed by jazz vocalists Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross. From 1962 to 1964, Ross was replaced by vocalist Yolande Bavan. History The group formed in 1957 and recorded their f ...

were met with unruly crowds. About 300 drunken revelers made a commotion during Charles' performance and the police responded with

teargas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ad ...

and water hoses. The riots became so out of control that the

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

was called in at midnight to calm the crowd. When Waters and his band arrived on the scheduled day, they intended to drive back on the next day, until driver James Cotton saw

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often in ...

standing at a corner, his guitar on his back without a guitar case. Cotton said Hooker should get into his car to get the musicians out of harm's way. At the same time, the city council decided to cancel the concert, but concert promoter George Wein convinced them when he said that the

United States Information Agency The United States Information Agency (USIA), which operated from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to " public diplomacy". In 1999, prior to the reorganization of intelligence agencies by President George W. Bush, President Bil ...

(USIA) planned to film the festival to teach American culture in other countries. Before Waters' performance, his band backed

, who was the band leader, and John Lee Hooker. At about 7 p.m., Muddy Waters entered the stage, wearing black, while the rest of the band wore white suits. ''At Newport 1960'' opens with then-unreleased "I Got My Brand on You", which was recorded one month prior, and " (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man", both written by

Willie Dixon William James Dixon (July 1, 1915January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he ...

. Next are the

Big Joe Williams Joseph Lee "Big Joe" Williams (October 16, 1903 – December 17, 1982) was an American Delta blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, notable for the distinctive sound of his nine-string guitar. Performing over five decades, he recorded the s ...

cover " Baby Please Don't Go", Oden's "Soon Forgotten", Dixon's "Tiger in Your Tank" and Broonzy's "I Feel So Good". At the end of " I've Got My Mojo Working", every bluesman gathered at the stage to perform medleys of blues standards. Jazz poet and directorate of Newport

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, H ...

spontaneously wrote a closing song, the slow "Goodbye Newport Blues", this time with Spann as singer, as Waters was too exhausted to perform.

released the album in the U.S. on November 15, 1960, which was produced by label owner

Leonard Chess Lejzor Szmuel Czyż (March 12, 1917 – October 16, 1969), best known as Leonard Sam Chess, was a Polish-American record company executive and the co-founder of Chess Records. He was influential in the development of electric blues, Chicago bl ...

. Chess issued the album on CD in 1986.

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...

, the successor to Chess, digitally remastered it in 2001. The remastered version contains three bonus tracks recorded in Chicago in June 1960.

Album cover

The album cover depicts Muddy Waters at the Newport Jazz Festival holding a semi-acoustic guitar. When the photographer, William Claxton, asked him to pose for the cover, Muddy left his Fender Telecaster (which he played during the concert) on the stage and instead held the semi-acoustic guitar, belonging to his friend John Lee Hooker.

Legacy

''At Newport 1960'' is generally praised for the upbeat performance by Waters and his band. Cub Koda, writing for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

, says that Waters "lays it down tough and cool with a set that literally had he audiencedancing in the aisles by the set close". Furthermore, he remarked that the opening track, "I Got My Brand on You", "positively burns the relatively tame (in comparison) studio take". Matthew Oshinsky, in ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'', praises the "merciless refrain" in "Hoochie Coochie Man" and the "unvarnished moaning" in "Baby Please Don't Go". He also enjoys Muddy's powerful

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the ...

, Cotton's harmonica playing, Spann's "pub piano"–like playing and the overall danceable music. Chris Smith, in '' 101 Albums That Changed Popular Music'', praises Waters's "growly vocal presentation, energetic stage presence, and electrifying (literally and figuratively) performances". The album is ranked number 348 on ''Rolling Stone''s " 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", in which the band's playing is described as "tough, tight and in the groove" and Cotton's harmonica jams are mentioned as "a special treat", In '' Vibe'' magazine's "100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century", a critic calls the album "immortal." The album is mentioned in ''The Rough Guide to Blues 100 Essential CDs''. Many musicians and bands, such as the

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and heavy metal, but the band calls it ...

and

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ...

, have been influenced by his electric sound and used this and his greatest hits album in creating a hard rock sound. ''At Newport 1960'' was one of the first live blues albums.

Track listing

Details are taken from the original 1960 Chess Records liner notes and may differ from other sources.

Reissue

Personnel

;Original vinyl release * Muddy Waters - guitar, vocals *

- piano, vocals *

- guitar * James Cotton - harmonica * Andrew Stephens - bass *

- drums * Jack Tracy - liner notes * Burt Goldblatt - photography ;Additional credits for 1987 re-release * Mary Katherine Aldin - liner notes * Bob Schnieders - liner notes, coordination, research * Geary Chansley - photo research * Mike Fink - reissue design * Steve Hoffman - master tape restoration * Erick Labson - digital remastering * Andy McKaie - reissue producer * Beth Stempel - reissue producer * Vartan - reissue art director

Footnotes

References

;Bibliography * * * * * * * * * {{Authority control Muddy Waters live albums Albums recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival 1960 live albums 1960 in Rhode Island Chess Records live albums MCA Records live albums Albums produced by Leonard Chess