Breathatakin' Blues - Rhythm Willie

Born Willie Hood, not much is known of this undeservedly obscure and uniquely talented harmonica player. Not even his birth year or date! Started recording in 1939, presumably close to 20 years of age, and totally unique in his playing approach. One listen and you can hear this was a player who was influenced by the horn players of his day (in particular clarinet & trumpet come to mind). Though he mainly recorded blues or blues-related swinging instrumentals, he reportedly had also been popular in the lounges and supper-clubs of Chicago and performed a mix of jazz, standards, and blues. Most of his work was also done on the high-end of the harmonica (in 1st position), but totally different than the more “country”-style blues players of the day, or even the early Chicago harmonica players from his era. Again, Willie phrased and played melodically much like a horn player.

Sadly, not only has his life gone mostly undocumented, but so has his playing and small recorded legacy. Thankfully, there has been a recent CD re-issue of all known and available sides featuring his unique and pioneering harmonica talent. Rhythm Willie was one of the first harmonica players to really incorporate a more “jazz” or horn approach to playing single-note lines on the diatonic harmonica, much like John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson did (towards the end of his career somewhat), and which Little Walter took further with his amplified approach. (Scott Dirks)
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Boarding House Blues - Rhythm Willie

Willie Hood, known as Rhythm Willie the Harmonica Wizard, was a popular entertainer in Chicago, up until his death in 1954. His repertoire consisted of jazz-tinged blues and, apparently, pop standards of the time. Here, I have transcribed the opening measures to three of the tunes he recorded at a 1940 session, issued under the name "Rhythm Willie and his Gang". These tracks have been reissued on "Harps, Jugs, Washboards and Kazoos 1926-1940" (RST Records Jazz Perspectives JPCD-1505-21). "Boarding House Blues" is a typical example of Willie's first position jazz style (everything he recorded, with the exception of "Breathtakin' Blues" was played in first position, or straight harp), played here on a G harp. Upper octave first position is often referred to as "Jimmy Reed style", but Willie was playing in this style in the 30s (or maybe even earlier) with a degree of sophistication that Jimmy Reed never achieved.
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