"T-Bone Shuffle" by T-Bone Walker

We lost another giant in music yesterday with the passing of Chuck Berry. Many people probably figured he had already passed, even though at 90 years old, new material was scheduled for release this year! Berry’s influence on modern music is well documented, but who influenced him? Along with guitarist Carl Hogan and Country music legend Jimmy Rodgers, another artist that is often credited with Berry’s development was Aaron "T-Bone" Walker.

Known as a key figure in the creation of the “electric” and “jump” blues sound, Walker was a showman with pioneering stage antics and classic guitar solos. He was also an underrated singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, with more than serviceable skills at the piano, violin, banjo, mandolin, and ukulele.
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This song, originally recorded in 1947 for the now defunct Black and White Record label, features some of Walker’s talents. His vocal performance is as soft as pianist Willard McDaniel’s strides and you can hear the same guitar phrases that Chuck Berry would use 8 years later. It’s a warm, fun number and along with other Jump Blues artists like Louis Jordan, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Louis Prima, T-Bone Walker would unknowingly influence many Jamaican artists and what would become Ska and eventually Reggae music.