Customer Reviews

Billy Boy Sings Sonny Boy

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For the publication Jazz & Blues Report and my blog, [...].
Its been sixty years ago that John Lee Williamson, best known as the original Sonny Boy Williamson, was murdered. His death left a major impression on his fellow Chicago musicians and was a topic many volunteered to Paul Oliver when he visited the United States in the early 1960s and interviewed many blues musicians. One of those affected by Sonny Boy's death was William `Billy Boy' Arnold, who as a youngster met and given a lesson by his idol. Now Arnold pays tribute to the blues pioneer on his new Electro-Fi recording, "Billy Boy Sings Sonny Boy," performing 14 songs of Williamson and three originals that are very much in the same style. Backed by a band that includes Billy Flynn on guitar and mandolin, Bob Stroger on bass and Willie Smith on drums, with Mel Brown guesting on both piano and guitar, Arnold revives such well known blues that Sonny Boy made popular like `Half-a-Pint' (`Sloppy Drunk Blues'), `Good Morning Little School Girl,' `Cut That Out,' and `Sugar Mama,' along with such choice numbers as `Mellow Chick Swing,' `Polly Put That Kettle On,' `Black Gal Blues,' `Tell Me Baby,' and Billy Boy's own `Squeeze Me Tight,' which sounds based on Sonny Boy's `Rooted Groundhog Blues'. Arnold brings a relaxed vocal style and his harp playing still shows his indebtedness to Sonny Boy's choked, crying style. Listening to his direct delivery of the ironic `Decoration Day Blues,' on which Sonny Boy lamented the death of a girl friend. The irony was Williamon was murdered on Decoration Day. Another fine performance is the lively `Polly Put the Kettle On,' with its easy swing and a swinging solo by Flynn that evokes Willie James Lacey who played on many of Sonny Boy's latter recordings. Stroger and Smith keep the backing simple and Brown's guitar and piano fills out on several tracks the understated, but most effective backing throughout. Arnold's heartfelt love of Sonny Boy is evident throughout and the backing complements his own delivery resulting in this very charming and moving musical remembrance.

Living in Chicago I have had an opportunity to see Billy Boy Arnold with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. They are a couple of the great Chicago Bluesmen still alive today. After seeing him in person I picked up all of his old CD's. He still sings with a great voice and feeling and his Harmonica playing is exceptional. Imaging my excitement when I heard the new CD on Sirius Blues. I went straight to Amazon and downloaded it. I had heard some of Sonny boy Williamson number one a few times but never got too deep into his music. After listening to this new CD I went back to hear more of the original Sonny Boy. It makes for great listening. This new CD is a must listen and must have for blues lovers. Pick it up and check out Billy Boy and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith if you ever have an opportunity.
In case you are wondering Willie "Big Eyes" Smith has this way of opening his eyes very wide when he is playing or singing. Hence the nickname.

Well, Billy Boy Arnold sure is one of the very few Golden-Age Chicago bluesmen who left by now in full activity, and of course he has some classic self-penned songs (from the Bo Diddley's days) too, and also did some great blues-rock recordings in the past ("Checkin' It Out" with Tony McPee, in example). Also, and luckily for us die-hard classic blues lovers, he did more than a few Sonny Boy's covers here and there on some other albums ("Consolidated Mojo", the one with Little Johnnie Jones). BUT, at last, he just did THE album which I've been waiting for a mighty long time: all John Lee Williamson's covers and into a classic, great sounding set and band. Of course, at the very moment I knew that album was released, I bought it; and I'm glad of doing it, 'cause it is the fantastic piece of blues gem I figured out.
Yes, Billy Boy is a blues-harp master and it shows here, but also he sings in the style of the original Sonny Boy like NOBODY else can, and this is a very, very rare thing these days. Enjoy it. Treasure it.
By the way, if you ask for more of this kind of superb vintage blues, give a try to the new double CD "Chicago Blues: A Living History" with... Billy Boy plus Billy Branch, John Primer and Lurrie Bell!

Great cd Billy Boy Arnold show that he still has it. The singing and all the backup musians is just great. Love this cd