LITTLE ROCK — Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials know that having the blues in your name can make for a hard row to hoe. Based in the blues mecca of Chicago, Ed Williams started his band in the mid-1970s, with the help and encouragement of his heralded uncle, J.B. Hutto, a master of slide guitar who imparted his love of that instrument to young Williams.
As for the “Lil’” part of his name, Williams says the term is one of endearment from family and friends, and relates to his height.
“I’m about 5-foot-1 or 5-foot-2,” he says.
Photos of the band show that he adds to his stature with an unusual fashion accessory — a fez — although he says it’s not of the Shriner variety.
“It’s a tribute to J.B. Hutto,” he says. “He liked to wear them, and it’s my way of keeping his memory alive. So is the band’s name, in fact. One of J.B.’s bands he called the Crowns, and when we were thinking of a name, I saw on TV a commercial for a brand of margarine, Imperial, and it had a crown on the label, and the crown reminded me of J.B. and his fez, so we said, ‘That’s it!’”
Williams started the band with his half brother, bassist James “Pookie” Young, and years of gigs came and went before Alligator Records came calling, offering a recording contract. In 1986, Roughhousin’ was the first album by the band, and since then Alligator has released another seven albums, including the latest, Jump Start, which came out earlier this year.
“It’s kind of a new direction,” Williams says, “as it’s a lot more of me, a little change-up, with soulful, rock ’n’ roll boogie-woogie style incorporated into the blues. I’ve also written more about what’s happening. It’s pretty much all originals, except for one cover of a J.B. Hutto song, which I try to do on all our albums.”
The road has not always been smooth for Williams, who worked in a carwash before deciding to tackle music full time. He disbanded the group in 1992 to go solo, but he put it back together seven years later, realizing that there was nothing else that made him as happy as cavorting onstage with his friends, whether it was at clubs, parties, festivals or anywhere he could sing and play guitar.
Known for their live shows, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials have been recognized for their efforts by Living Blues magazine, which anointed the band its choice as “Best Live Performer” in 2011 and also this year, with the magazine’s readers making the pick this year and the critics doing so a year ago.
Like Chuck Berry, Lil’ Ed is known for his ability to duck walk, and he also adds leaps and other gymnastic moves that are impressive for a 57-year-old.
He says, “The blues is powerful music, and it’s my job to help keep it alive, and to get young folks where they also have an appreciation for it, so I do what I can and I’m likely to be smiling while I’m doing it.”
Lil’ Ed & the
Blues Imperials
8 p.m. Sunday, Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 107 River Market Ave., Little Rock
Admission: $5
(501) 372-7707
stickyz.com
Weekend, Pages 37 on 09/20/2012