The "Ed Heads" were out in force at the storied Fitzgerald's in Berwyn. (Svengoolie fans holla Burrr-wynn!) The weather was a balmy 65 degrees, and it was even hotter inside. There was a full house with several fez-wearing fans wandering around the bar. The mood was high with anticipation for the release of Slideways, the 11th album from Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials.
Lil' Ed Williams is a blues master, homegrown on the West Side of Chicago, and the Imperials are something of a family affair. The bassist is James "Pookie" Young, Lil' Ed's half-brother. Drummer Kelly Littleton and guitarist Mike Garrett have been Imperials for over 30 years. The group has a solid groove powered by some seriously funky telekinesis. Lil' Ed is a gregarious and impish raconteur, resplendent in head-to-toe sequins with a matching fez. He egged the audience on, asking if they were "ready to get nasty" before ripping into "Check My Baby's Oil" from Full Tilt (2008). He sang, "I'd better check my baby's oil, there's been another dipstick in her pan."
Lil' Ed is a master of the slide guitar with hard-hitting chords and soulful vocals. The band is tight with Pookie's steady growling bass and Littleton keeping a solid backbeat. Mike Garrett comes off as cool and understated, hardly looking up while shredding the guitar. Both sets were songs from the new album. Every one of them is a plateful of hot West Side blues. "Bad All By Myself" and "You Can't Strike Gold From a Silver Mine" had people up and on their feet dancing in what little space there was by the merch table. It felt like a night back in the day when my best friend's mother would get picked up by her boyfriend to head to places like the Burning Spear or the High Chaparral on the South Side.
Lil' Ed grew up playing several instruments, but he gleaned his slide skills from another family member. J.B Hutto was a Chicago blues legend and slide king from the Elmore James and Hound Dog Taylor school of blues. There were several Hutto songs on The Big Sound of Lil'Ed and the Blues Imperials (2016). Lil' Ed's wife, Pam Williams, has also co-written several songs. He wrote a song called "The Flirt in the Car Wash Skirt" that tells the story of how he met Mrs. Williams. Lil' Ed worked at a car wash and recalled that Pam wore a tiny skirt that looked like a shammy towel.
"13th Street and Trouble" describes an evening with Uncle J.B, Pookie, and Lil'Ed. Uncle J.B. went into a bar and told them he would be back in 15 minutes. Of course, it was more than 45 minutes later, while Lil' Ed and Pookie sweated it out in the car. After a short intermission, the band came back and blazed through an amazing set. There was a raffle for CDs and a red vinyl album where exhilarated screams went up from seven excited Ed Heads as their numbers were called. The guy calling the numbers out was none other than Alligator Records founder Bruce Iglauer. It felt like a fantastic night at the Chicago Blues Festival.
I highly recommend purchasing or downloading Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials' Slideways from Amazon, Apple Music, or Alligator Records.
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