These tracks have been around the block several times since the late 1960s, but it’s great that they are available again. This CD captures Howlin’ Wolf at a key turning point in his career. The initial white blues revival was in full swing, ironically, at a time the when blues market was lurching to a halt in black America. British bands were covering Muddy, Wolf, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry material, and Europeans clamored to see the real deal. So it was that in 1964, Wolf made his first trip overseas as part of the American Folk Blues Festival tour. Accompanying him was his long time guitarist, Hubert Sumlin and an all-star Chicago band including Willie Dixon on bass and Sunnyland Slim on piano. While the musicians are familiar with Wolf’s music, occasionally they sound tentative. Sunnyland covers most of the gaps, but the addition of a saxophone would have been nice.

Still, Wolf throws himself into his music with fervent passion, perhaps inspired by this strange, new and polite audience. He plays most of his aces: “Howlin’ for My Darlin’,” “Going Down Slow” and “Forty-Four” among others. I don’t know how much people paid to get in to see this show, but it was well worth the price.