Little Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs (May 1, 1930 – February 15, 1968), was an American blues harmonica player whose revolutionary approach to his instrument has earned him comparisons to Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix for innovation and impact on succeeding generations. His virtuosity and musical innovations fundamentally altered many listeners' expectations of what was possible on blues harmonica. Little Walter's body of work earned him a spot in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 making him the only artist ever to be inducted specifically for his work as a harmonica player.
This boxset brings 126 songs on 5 CDs; all available Checker/Chess recordings, including many alternate takes.
Disc:1
1. Evans Shuffle
2. Juke
3. Juke (Alternate Take)
4. Can't Hold out Much Longer
5. Can't Hold out Much Longer (Alternate Take)
6. Blue Midnight (Alternate Take)
7. Blue Midnight
8. Boogie
9. Mean Old World
10. Sad Hours
11. Fast Boogie
12. Fast Boogie (Alternate 1)
13. Fast Boogie (Alternate 2)
14. Fast Boogie (Alternate 3)
15. Don't Need No Horse
16. Driftin'
17. Driftin' (Alternate Take)
18. Don't Have to Hunt No More
19. Crazy Legs
20. Tonight with a Fool
21. Off the Wall (Alternate Take)
22. Off the Wall
23. Tell Me Mama
24. Quarter to Twelve
25. That's It
Disc:2
1. Blues with a Feeling (Alternate Take)
2. Blues with a Feeling
3. Last Boogie
4. Too Late
5. Fast Boogie
6. Lights Out
7. Fast Large One
8. You're So Fine
9. My Kind of Baby
10. Come Back Baby
11. Rocker
12. I Love You So (Oh Baby)
13. Oh Baby
14. I Got to Find My Baby (Alternate Take)
15. I Got to Find My Baby
16. Big Leg Mama
17. Mercy Babe (My Babe)
18. Last Night (First Version)
19. You'd Better Watch Yourself
20. Blue Light
21. Instrumental
22. Last Night
23. Mellow Down Easy
24. My Babe
25. My Babe (Overdubbed Version)
Disc:3
1. Thunderbird
2. Roller Coaster
3. I Got to Go
4. Hate to See You Go (Extended)
5. Little Girl
6. Crazy for My Baby
7. Can't Stop Loving You
8. One More Chance with You
9. Who
10. Boom, Boom out Go the Lights
11. It Ain't Right
12. Flying Saucer
13. It's Too Late Brother
14. Teenage Beat
15. Take Me Back
16. Just a Feeling
17. Nobody But You
18. Temperature (Version 1)
19. Shake Dancer
20. Everybody Needs Somebody
21. Temperature (Alternate 1)
22. Temperature (Alternate 2)
23. Temperature (Take 30)
24. Temperature (Take 35-38)
25. Temperature (Version 2)
26. Ah'w Baby (Alternate Take)
Disc:4
1. Ah'w Baby
2. I've Had My Fun (Alternate Take)
3. I've Had My Fun (Alternate 2)
4. I've Had My Fun
5. Toddle
6. Confessin' the Blues
7. Key to the Highway
8. Rock Bottom
9. Rock Bottom
10. Walkin' On (Rock Bottom Alternate)
11. You Gonna Be Sorry (Someday Baby) (Take 5)
12. You Gonna Be Sorry (Someday Baby) (Alternate Take)
13. You Gonna Be Sorry (Someday Baby)
14. One of These Mornings
15. Baby
16. My Baby Is Sweeter (Alternate Take)
17. My Baby Is Sweeter
18. Crazy Mixed Up World (Alternate Take)
19. Crazy Mixed Up World
20. Worried Life (Alternate Take)
21. Worried Life
22. Everthing's Gonna Be Alright (Take 1)
23. Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Alternate 1)
24. Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Alternate 2)
25. Everything's Gonna Be Alright
26. Mean Old Frisco (Alternate Take)
27. Mean Old Frisco
Disc:5
1. Back Track
2. One of These Mornings
3. Blue and Lonesome (Alternate Take)
4. Blue and Lonesome
5. Me and Piney Brown
6. Break It Up
7. Going Down Slow
8. You're Sweet
9. I Don't Play
10. As Long as I Have You
11. You Don't Know
12. Just Your Fool
13. Up the Line
14. I'm a Business Man
15. Dead Presidents
16. Southern Feeling
17. Back in the Alley
18. I Feel So Bad (Take 1)
19. I Feel So Bad (Take 2)
20. Chicken Shack
21. Feel So Bad
22. Make It Alright
23. Juke