Before he took the stage at Rosa’s Lounge last Saturday night with his band, the Blues Imperials, Lil' Ed Williams walked around and greeted folks with his signature smile. Decked out in a gold fez, a black pinstripe suit, a red sequined vest and Chuck Taylors, Lil' Ed’s message was clear: He was there to have a good time and he’d like you to join him.
Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials, four of them in total, started right in on a slow, romping blues number. Lil' Ed’s half-brother, the massive James “Pookie” Young, rocked side-to-side with his bass. Lil' Ed worked the slide on his pinky down the neck of his red Fender as he shredded with his other fingers and crooned in a bright, brassy voice, “She heard me calling and she took me by the hand.”
They slid from the first song’s sultry feel into a driving boogie. Michael Garrett, guitar, and Kelly Littleton, drums, provided a lurching rhythm to match Pookie’s bass line. Lil' Ed used his voice alternately to lay down talking blues against the boogie beat and to blast out trumpet-like notes, running his slide screaming up and down the neck of his guitar, all while bouncing up and down with wide eyes and a sprawling, contagious grin.
But the highlight of the first set was a slithering rendition of Jimmy Reed’s “Baby, What You Want Me To Do?” Lil' Ed showed off his chops, creating a searing, distorted sound with the slide, while gingerly picking some notes with his right hand. He got everyone in the bar clapping in unison as he traded licks with Garrett.
The second set was a livelier mix of boogie, rock-influenced blues and rockabilly sounds. A few songs into the set, the Blues Imperials threw on the brakes and went into a serious song about pain and loss, “Nobody’s Fault But My Own,” from their most recent album Rattleshake (Alligator Records, 2006). This was a blues song in its most pared-down form -- a heartbeat on the brink of stopping altogether.
Before the audience of about 50 got too bummed out though, Lil' Ed launched into a raucous song called “Icicles in My Meatloaf,” from the same album. The small man with the big voice was back to smiling and bouncing around, looking like the happiest man to ever sing the blues – in a fez or out of one.
Check out more of Greg's (and other's) writing online at Medill Reports-Chicago at http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/display.aspx

Blues On Grand

Des Moines, Iowa March 19, 2008

A rare mid-week show at Blues On Grand, starting promptly at 8:00. The fellows seemed well rested and ready to play, surrounded by a gang of long time Edheads. It seemed as if they played at least one song from every one of their albums.
Ed pulled out Uncle JB's "That's the Truth" early on and got things jumping.
The second set included a spectacular rendition of Albert Collins "Don't Lose Your Cool."

Left: Kelly, multitasking.

Mike, Ed and Pookie in Jeff's Secret Lair

Gettin' happy!!

Ed encores solo, with a gospel tune.

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