 Muddy Waters toured England with Spann in 1958, where they were backed by local Dixieland-style or "trad jazz" musicians, including members of Chris Barber's band.At the time, English audiences had only been exposed to acoustic folk blues, as performed by artists such as Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, and Big Bill Broonzy.Both the musicians and audiences were unprepared for Waters' performance, which included his electric slide guitar playing.