Congratulations to Lil’ Ed, The Blues Foundation has nominated him for a 2009 Blues Music Award in the category of “B.B. King Entertainer of the Year”, “Band of the Year” & “Traditional Blues Album of the Year“ for Full Tilt.

Hear Lil’ Ed talk about his brand new CD Full Tilt as well as how his uncle, blues artist J.B. Hutto, got Lil’ Ed started in his musicale career.
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Lil’ Ed & Blues Imperials have been playing together for over 20 years. The new CD Full Tilt is their seventh record for Alligator Records. This band is about having a good time on stage smiling, laughing, and jumping around having the time of their lives. Through all this they are putting out blistering West Side Chicago style music that will put you in full tilt. Lucky for us Alligator Records has found a way to bottle this, well, put it on a CD, so we can take this wonderful experience home with us. Full Tilt will slap a smile on your face and start the party.

Lil’ Ed Williams and half brother James Young grew up in the late sixties hearing the blues played in their parents house. As young teenagers, Ed’s Uncle J.B. Hutto got the two kids interested in playing music. J.B. Hutto was already a famous slide guitarist that was known for putting on wild and exciting blues concerts. Their aunt gave them some money to buy instruments. J.B. would come by to give Ed lessons on the guitar, then Ed would teach what he learned to James. Later on James switched to bass leaving Ed to play guitar. When they got good enough J.B. used them in his band. They mostly played small bars and clubs, but one time they played an out side concert to maybe 300 people. This was a real eye opener for Ed and James. J.B. would wander through the crowed playing the guitar. Then tried to get Ed to jump off the stage and go into the crowd. Ed realized that just playing the guitar was not enough, you had to be a showman too. Ed and James were also playing in a band of their own when not needed by J.B. Hutto. Sadly in 1983, at the age of 63, J.B. Hutto past away. In 1986 Alligator Records founder Bruce Iglauer asked the band now called Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials to record two songs for a multiple artist record he was putting together. Bruce enjoyed the band so much he kept asking them to play another song, and then another. Till after 3 hours they had around 30 songs. Wisely Bruce offered the band a full album contract on the spot. They picked the 12 best songs from the live studio session and released it as Roughhousin’ with no overdubs or retakes.

Now seven records later we have Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials’ Full Tilt, still at the top of their game. The first song starts off like a train at full speed. “Hold That Train” is about how he and his baby just had a big fight. The music is fast pace, fun, and has some of his best slide guitar playing on it. Lil’ Ed is known for his fast, clean, and smooth slide guitar playing and this song delivers all of that. “Housekeeping Job”, “Woman, Take a Bow”, and “Every Man Needs a Good Woman” are all very good blues songs that give you a breather from the fast pace Full Tilt of the other songs. Johnny Iguana was brought in to play organ on “Every Man Needs a Good Woman”. This lays a beautiful backdrop for Lil’ Ed to add more wonderful slide guitar over. “Don’t Call Me” is a song you can really relate to. Ed sings, “I woke up this morning at 6 am, they needed a number from my credit card, that’s when phone hit the wall real hard, don’t send me no email, don’t send me a fax, don’t call me on the phone, just leave poor me alone.” This is Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials playing in Full Tilt form. Other Full Tilt rockers are “Sweet Candy”, ”First I look at the Purse”, “Open Invitation” and “Take Five”. “Take Five” is a song Hound Dog Taylor recorded on his first 45″ in 1960 and later on his 1973 LP Natural Boogie. As you would imagine Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials tear through this song in Full Tilt form. I’ve seen this band two times this year and had a wonderful time. Not only listening to a band that plays great, but is having just as much fun entertaining me as I am getting entertained. Michael Garrentt is the other guitarist he has a much rougher playing style than Lil’ Ed’s fast, smooth style. Together they really compliment each other. Kelly Litileton has a very basic drum set but he is a fast hard hitting drummer that is just as fun to watch as Lil’ Ed or Michael. The three of them make are having a wild time. Then there’s James “Pookie” Young the bass player. Pookie just stands there doing his job, holding the bottom down. Every one else on stage or in the audience is in a Full Tilt. Now you too can be in a Full Tilt. Just buy the CD and remember when you push play the party starts.

Songs in the show are:
“Don’t Call Me”
“Every Man Needs a Good Woman”
“Dying to Live”
“Hold That Train”

Lil’ Ed & Blues Imperials Website

Lil’ Ed & Blues Imperials MySpace

Buy the CD Full Tilt from Alligator Records

Check out other great blues CD’s from Alligator Records

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Blues Music and Interviews
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