Little Walter & His Night Cats

Little Walter & His Night Cats were the small-group backing band for Chicago harmonica player Little Walter, associated with electric Chicago blues in the postwar era. Their sound paired amplified harmonica as a lead voice with guitar, bass, and drums, and Little Walter's use of a microphone and amplification gave the harmonica vocal-like phrasing and sustained tones that shaped how the instrument could function in a band setting. The Night Cats provided compact, driving accompaniment that helped define the ensemble sound of urban blues and influenced later blues and rock players.