Search - Sonny Boy Williamson :: Original

Sonny Boy Williamson The Original Vol.1

Stuart Jefferson | San Diego,Ca | 06/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Four discs. 76,78,77,75 min. each approximately. Remastered sound. This set is by the original Sonny Boy Williamson,born in 1914,whose first release was in 1937. This was the well-known Good Morning,Little School Girl,an immediate hit. His unique vocals(he had a speech impediment)and his mastery of the harmonica became well-known throughout the South and other areas where blues were popular. His sidemen on this first disc were Big Joe Williams-guitar,Robert Lee McCoy-guitar,and on some tracks Henry Townsend-guitar with Walter Davis-piano. The tracks vary a bit in the vocal department,with McCoy,Williams and Williamson trading off on lead vocals. A look at the tracks on this disc will reveal several songs familiar to any listener of blues-but the overall feel is the same no matter who is out front. A very relaxed,"real" feel oozes out of this music,which continues through the entire set.



The first sixteen tracks on disc two follow the previous formula,with vocals traded off between Williamson,McCoy and Townsend. As with a lot of music recorded during this time,there is some confusion as to who exactly played on which tracks,but that doesn't stand in the way of enjoying this music. The last eight sides feature either Elijah Jones or Yank Rachell on vocals. Jones' vocals are suitably rough sounding and fit quite well in this set. The addition of Rachell's mandolin gives these tracks even more of a down-home feel and is quite a nice addition.



Disc three continues in the same vein. The only important addition is piano player Speckled Red,who takes a vocal on You Got to Fix It,otherwise he plays accompaniment to Williamson. Red's piano is out of the barrelhouse style and is a standout. There's someone named Willie Hatcher,who plays mandolin on the last few tracks and really contributes nothing of any comment.



Disc four is a bit different than the others in that Sonny Boy is starting to leave behind the country sound and influences so important to his sound. The arrangements and the overall feel is starting to lean toward a more urban sound. The players on this disc are essentially the same as the above discs,the only real addition is Big Bill Broonzy on guitar. His addition gives the tracks an urban feel,that while different, is still in the style of the original Sonny Boy Williamson.



Taken as a whole,this set is very fine indeed. Anyone looking for the beginnings of popular blues harmonica,played by a master,should certainly investigate this set. The down-home relaxed vocals, the easy-fitting accompaniment,and harmonica played by a master,are one of the cornerstones of blues music."

Excellent set from the "original" Sonny Boy and friends

J. Grant | North Carolina, USA | 11/07/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, this is not Rice Miller aka Sonny Boy Williamson II, as Amazon leads you to believe by putting his name in parenthesis next to the title. As most pre-war blues fans already know, Sonny Boy was one of the first bluesmen to incorporate the harmonica as a primary instrument of equal relevance as the guitar. While perhaps not as spectacular a player as Little Walter, Junior Wells, James Cotton and Sonny Boy II, he was every bit their equal as an innovator. Sonny Boy, like John Lee Hooker, sufferred from a bit of a speech impediment, but it isn't evident in his singing, which is clear and focused, unlike some of his contemporaries. Whether he is accompanied by or in support of such artists as Big Joe Williams, Yank Rachell, Bob McCoy and Henry Townsend, this is a most enjoyable 4 disc set of primo blues music, spanning 1937-1939."