By the time I arrived Bill Durst had already performed, and the event was running in full throttle in Centennial Hall’s main auditorium. I immediately noticed that the seating that normally occupies the main floor and mezzanine had been replaced with many tables and chairs. This created a street party atmosphere and made you feel as comfortable and familiar as sitting at the corner of King and Clarence during Bluesfest. The main floor and mezzanine are licensed to sell alcohol. So naturally, they are the busiest part of the hall where most camaraderie occurs. On this level, the sound was absolutely blaring and, at times, distorted. Booze is not allowed in the balcony. At any one time, there were only approximately 10 patrons on that level. This meant you could pick practically any seat and escape the swelter of the greater crowd. The sound wasn’t as loud up there, but it was muffled. As at most gigs, I found the best quality sound while standing directly in front of the stage.

Outside it may have been a cold winter night, but inside hot rock and blues music was as warming as 15-year-old scotch. Cheryl Lescom is not from London, but she regularly gigs there. By the time I arrived, she was belting out her hard kicking rock. Her potent band included local London guitarist/harmonicist/vocalist Tim Woodcock and John Lee (of Mel Brown’s Homewreckers) on keys. The last few interpretive numbers were time-honored classics from her repertoire including Have My Husband, I Just Wanna Make Love To You (performed 1970’s Foghat style), Rock And Roll, and Piece Of My Heart. On the Joplin tune, Lescom screeched and screamed the lyrics to the appreciation of the crowd.

Lil’ Ed Williams & The Blues Imperials have been called “the world’s #1 houserockin` band". Mentored by his blues legend uncle, J. B. Hutto, Lil’ Ed formed The Blues Imperials in 1975. The band’s name is based on the old Imperial margarine TV commercial. Five foot one Lil’ Ed played music that was full of animation and joy. He combined barking vocals with romping guitar. His long-time band members included Kelly Littleton (drums), Mike Garrett (guitar), and brother Pookie Young (bass). Ed has been gifted with amusing stage antics, which conceal his musical talent. Williams is easily one of the most under-rated guitarists on the blues scene. His vocals are entertaining, as are his light-hearted lyrics, but it is his thriving guitar that will be remembered the most. His entire set was not completely comprised of snarling guitar. I Still Love You was a brilliant slow blues burner. He received the greatest reactions when he fired notes on his knees, slide across the stage, performed duck walks and backbends, and popped his eyeballs out.

A couple nights later, in the lobby of his Windsor hotel, Ed was jovial and jolly as he reflected on his style. “My uncle told me, ‘Never try to over pick and never try to overplay’. When you hear those super guitar guys, they really aren’t saying anything, they are just playing. I just can’t get into that style. But there are certain licks and certain notes that I hit, which grabs the people. I try to catch the audience off guard so their reaction is wow, where did that come from. People like to see me act a fool, you know that. And I like to act a fool because I like to see people smile.”

The way he sounds on CD is exactly way he sounds when you hear him perform live. That’s because he always records live in the studio. “I can’t record any other way. I get the band together. We go to the garage, set up, rehearse, and get ourselves tight. Then we go into the studio and play”. Regarding the modern way of recording he said, “Everybody’s really trying to change things from the old school. If they change it in the right way then it’s good. There are some things that need to stay exactly the way they are. You can do a first take and it comes from your heart. Then you can do another take, because somebody wants you to do it, but you’re not really into it. You might hit the right notes, but the feeling isn’t there. A live record is live. If you hear a little glitch here and a little flop there, so what? You’re gonna get up and dance anyway”, laughed Ed.

Ed never uses a set list for his energetic shows. They are always 100% spontaneous. The songs he performed at the Firehall Reunion where entirely different from those performed in Windsor. When you watch him perform, he looks like he is having the time of his life. He may even fool you into temporarily believing that life is a breeze. It’s been anything but for Williams. Regarding how he was able to overcome his serious street drug addiction, Ed stated, “It wasn’t nothing but God. You have to seek a higher power because it takes more than you to do it. If it (kicking his habit) had a been left up to me, it wouldn’t have happened.” There was a time when he did drugs and booze daily while staying with a family, who were all into that scene. He felt like there was no way out. When his daughter told him, “You need to find somewhere else to go”, he figured it was divine intervention. Finally, he got the strength and courage to leave and told his daughter, “I won’t be back for a long time”. She hugged him and said, “If that’s what it takes Dad, you gotta do what you gotta do”. Then, with all the other family members watching and following him, he walked out. “I left everything I had at that house”. He began a new life, found a good counselor, and kicked his habits.

At the Reunion, Ed and his majesties blazed a blues firestorm and created an instant party. They performed real deal blues, which was raw, heavy, and raucous – featuring wicked slide guitar. Their energetic music rocked like a bed in a brothel while the slide guitar barreled over you like a mighty machine. Sure, there was a formulaic pattern to the songs, and some found him unmanageable, but there was a genuine musician behind this book’s cover. Perhaps more than any other artist on Alligator’s active roster, Williams embodies the very reason Bruce Iglauer created his respected record label. 



The final artist had a completely different style than Ed. Tinsley Ellis is not a blues purist and he never intended to be one. The 48-year-old is a life-long disciple of fiery old masters like Elmore James and consummate blues rockers like Johnny Winter. Born in Atlanta and raised in South Florida, Tinsley picked up the guitar as a youngster. Despite attaining regional success with the Heartfixers in the Southeast States, he abandoned the group in 1987 with the goal to achieve national prosperity as a solo act. He has recorded for Alligator, Telarc, and Capricorn, but hasn’t become as popular as his southern rock contemporaries like the Allman Brothers.

Tinsley has previously played all the London blues haunts that were being remembered this evening. He even stayed at the Talbot Inn during some of his multi-night appearances there. Ellis performs the same intense show whether playing a concert hall filled to the thousands or a bar with a crowd in the hundreds. At Centennial Hall, Ellis’ blues-based rock was mean, tough, bold, loud, and excessive. It regularly crossed over into the hard rock arena, and the crowd loved every moment of it. Ellis’ savage band was fueled by rock power, and they provided a trembling foundation. His rock and roll animals included Jeff Burch drums, Todd Hamric keyboards, and The Evil One bass. A Quitter Never Wins is one of Ellis’ signature ballads. He played it like there was a slow burning fire following him up the fret board. His vocals were as assertive as his guitar on the hot rockin’ Hell Or High Water. The Robert Cray styled Real Bad Way transitioned from the studio to the stage extremely well. Here, Hamric flew across the keyboard during an outrageous solo. The song contained some of Ellis’ best tone, control, and intertwined stringing. The Last Song was a beautiful ballad that burned with extended guitar solos that are loaded with emotion.



Without a doubt, the overall highlight was when Lil’ Ed and Mike Garrett joined Tinsley’s band for a jam session. They performed Rock Me Baby and it was one of those great blues moments to cherish for a lifetime. I clearly recall one fellow Reunion-goer saying that it would be a few days before he’d be able to take the smile off his face. Regarding the jam Ellis said, “That was the deepest blues I’ve played in a long time”. The consensus was that is was very classy for Ellis, as the headliner, to bring Ed out, and not to let egos get in the way of the music. 

For more information about Lil’ Ed, Tinsley Ellis, and Alligator Records go to www.alligator.com.

Visit www.bluessociety.ca for upcoming Canada South Blues Society events. Special thanks to Chico Martin, Stephen Cole, and Bill Giardini.  Tim Holek