Personnel: Muddy Waters (vocals, guitar); Louis Myers (acoustic guitar); Leroy Foster, Luther Tucker, Pat Hare, Jimmy Rogers, Sam Lawhorn, Matt Murphy, Pee Wee Madison (guitar); Walter Horton, James Cotton, George "Mojo" Buford, Little Walter (harmonica); Marcus Johnson, Boyd Atkins (tenor saxophone); Otis Span (piano); Ernest "Big" Crawford, Milton Rector, Andrew Stephenson, Calvin Jones, Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below, Al Duncan, Willie Smith, Francey Clay (drums); Leonard Chess (bass drum).

Producers include: Leonard Chess, Phil Chess, Willie Dixon, Gene Barge, Ralph Bass.

Compilation producer: Andy McKaie.

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois between November 30, 1948-June 22, 1966; and in Lausanne, Switzerland on June 13, 1972. Includes liner notes by Mary Katherine Aldin.

Digitally remastered by Erick Labson (MCA Music Media Studios, North Hollywood, California).

This is part of the Chess Collectibles series.

So you picked up that gray-market, nine-disc Muddy Waters Chess Box and you think you know the whole story. ONE MORE MILE will prove you wrong. This two-disc set features previously unreleased tunes from Muddy's Chess tenure, recordings once thought to be irretrievably lost. Fortunately for blues fans, they've come to light, illuminating the legacy of Chicago Blues' godfather/patron saint.

The recordings go back to the beginning of Muddy's Chess career (as early as 1948), and as far forward as the early '70s. Fans will be familiar with the raucous "Tiger in Your Tank" from its inclusion on Muddy's seminal live Newport album, but this 1960 studio version offers a tantalizing alternate view of the track. The MUDDY, BRASS AND BLUES album that featured a pasted-on horn section is vilified among hardcore Muddy enthusiasts, but ONE MORE MILE affords listeners the opportunity to hear that album's "Trouble, Trouble" and "Trouble In Mind" in their original, hornless form. While a double-disc collection of alternative cuts and rarities from a lesser artist might be riddled with inconsistencies, a giant like Muddy is well served by a compilation like ONE MORE MILE.

Down Beat (3/95, p.50) - 5 Stars - Excellent - "...A new, sweeping musical panorama of this legendary bluesman's long career....The real value of ONE MORE MILE...lies in the final 11 tracks on disc two. Taken from a 1972 Swiss radio broadcast..."

Musician (8/94, p.92) - "...That these tracks never saw the light of day is surprising; that they're so excellent is amazing..."

Sing Out! (11-12/94-1/95, p.130) - "...newcomers should start with the [Chess] box set, but anyone who wants to explore further will find this material a satisfying addition to their collection..."