Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials

First aired on WUTC 3/9/24

In Chicago, a city overflowing with unrivaled blues talent, world-renowned Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials have been standing tall for almost 30 years. The band’s big sound, fueled by Lil’ Ed’s gloriously rollicking slide work and deep blues string bending, along with his rough-edged, soulful vocals, is as real and hard-hitting as Chicago blues gets.

After playing around town in various clubs during the 80s, the band was invited into the recording studio by Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer, and the end result of the session was 30 songs cut in three hours with no overdubs and only one second take. Twelve of those songs became the band’s debut album, Roughhousin’, released in September of 1986.

Nine albums and thousands of performances later, Lil’ Ed is now universally hailed as a giant of the genre. Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials—bassist (and Ed’s half-brother) James “Pookie” Young, guitarist Mike Garrett, and drummer Kelly Littleton—have remained together for nearly 30 years (an extraordinary feat for any group), the band fueling Ed’s songs with their rock-solid, road-tested, telepathic musicianship.

The Big Sound Of Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials is the musically electrifying, emotionally intense and downright fun new album from the band Guitar Player calls “a snarling boogie-blues machine…they blow down the walls.” With this new album, the band continues to bring their blistering Chicago blues to “Ed Heads” new and old. Their infectious energy, joyful showmanship and masterful playing have been honed to a razor’s edge by their many years together.

Lil’ Ed, Pookie, Mike, and Kelly have seen sports stars and presidents, musical fads and fashion trends come and go. Meanwhile, their fiery music has more than stood the test of time. “We’re not band members,” says Williams, “we’re family, and families stay together.” Night after night, gig after riotous gig, the musical family called Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials bring their big, dynamic Chicago blues sound to fans across the country and around the world.

Episode Tracklist:
Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "If You Were Mine"
J.B. Hutto – "Speak My Mind"
J.B. Hutto – "Lulu Belle's Here"
Blind Willie Johnson – "Dark Was the Night"
Sister Rosetta Tharpe – "Rock Me"
Mississippi Fred McDowell – "You Gotta Move"
Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "Troubled World"
Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "You Done Me Wrong For the Last Time"
The Nighthawks – "Come Baby"
Satan and Adam – "Big Boss Man"
Frank Sinatra – "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)"
The Police – "It's Alright For You"
Jimi Hendrix – "Red House"
Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "Natural Man"
Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "Giving Up On Your Love"