Killing Floor guitar solo

Howlin' Wolf, 1964, from The Real Folk Blues. Solo by Hubert Sumlin.

Sumlin's jagged, unpredictable fills around Wolf's riff were studied closely by Clapton, Page and Hendrix.

Hubert Sumlin never plays quite what you expect on Killing Floor. Around Howlin' Wolf's driving, insistent riff he scatters jagged, off-kilter fills, stabbing phrases that land in odd places and twist away before they settle. The effect is thrilling: the groove is rock-solid, but the guitar keeps it unsteady and alive. Sumlin's unpredictability made him a favourite of British and American rock guitarists, and Jimi Hendrix opened his Monterey Pop set with this song. Listen past the main riff to the small, sharp responses Sumlin tucks between Wolf's lines; they show how a sideman can shape a record's whole character without ever taking a conventional solo.

Killing Floor by Howlin' Wolf is featured in our Blues (#16) list. The solo is played by Hubert Sumlin and the song was released in 1964.

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Blues Guitar Solos — #16
• The Best Howlin' Wolf Guitar Solos — #1
• Top 20 Guitar Solos of 1964 — #10

Sources