Sonny Boy Williamson (II) – King Biscuit Time – Arhoolie Records CD 310

This 1989 CD is an expanded re-release of an original 16-cut 1970 Arhoolie Records LP that collected Williamson’s output for the Trumpet label, a Jackson, Mississippi imprint ran by the husband-and-wife team of Willard and Lillian McMurry.    

Williamson is strong and rhythmic in his harmonica playing and singing, and the bluesmen surrounding him include Joe Willie Wilkins providing superb guitar, Frock O’Dell executing strong percussion frameworks, Cliff Bivens lending his low-end bass expertise, and pianists Clarence Lonnie and Dave Campbell advancing idyllic keyboard fills.

The tunes here were originally logged throughout 1951, and capture Williamson at his vibrant best.

What sets this particular CD edition apart from earlier releases are over 13-minutes of Williamson caught “live” on southern blues radio powerhouse KFFA over the expanse of four sections, plus, blues slide guitar marvel Elmore James with a rendition of one of his signature tunes, “Dust My Broom.”  It alone is worth the price of admission here.  Williamson provided harmonica on that cut, and Leonard Ware provided solid bass work.  It’s release on Trumpet Records was under the name Elmo James.

Across the landscape of this outstanding collection, the blues here are unparalleled for their inspired intensity.  Williamson recorded a considerable mass of blues genius throughout his acclaimed career, but as the ultimate manuscript of his virtuosity, this anthology exceedingly slakes the blues longing on all levels.

This is a release of tremendously grand initial blues yardsticks by one of the Chess label’s “Mount Rushmore Of The Blues” titans (the others being Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Little Walter).

By the way, Williamson’s “Pontiac Blues” received many plays on my late-night blues radio show back-in-the-day for a good reason; it’s infectiously rollicking in all the right ways!

Essential indeed!