I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Slideways, from Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials and it’s terrific! Opening with Bad All By Myself, Lil’ Ed on lead guitar and vocal, gets things rocking right off the bat. With Michael Garrett playing a strong rhythm line reinforced by James “Pookie” Young and Kelly Littleton on drums, this is a great opener. The Flirt In The Car Wash Skirt is a great blues rocker with raucous slide work by Lil’ Ed and Ben Levin on piano really gets this track boogieing. Vital rhythm guitar work by Garrett and a rock solid bottom makes this one of my favorites on the release. Elmore James flavored, 13th Street And Trouble, is a strong track with a pounding bottom and super piano work by Levin. Lil’ Ed has this track by the short hairs and is really shaking it. Cooking! Laid back Chicago blues, More Time, has solid pacing and features Lil’ Ed upfront on lead vocal. Garrett showcases his lead guitar skills on this one and his style really is nice. Soulful, Wayward Women is a great track showcasing just how deep Lil’ Ed digs. His vocals are earthy and his picked guitar lead is terrific conjuring up visions of early Otis Rush floating in Levin’s rich organ sea. Excellent! R&B based, Cold Side Of The Bed, has a real nice strut (think Mustang Sally). He gets a great groove going with Pookie and Littleton and Levin on organ and Garrett really support his stylized guitar lead. Nice!! Funky entry, What Kind Of World Is This? will keep you bopping in your seat of you can stay seated. With tight rhythm guitar by Garrett and Ed on vocal and lead guitar this is a real gem. Wrapping the release is rocking blues, You Can’t Strike Gold From A Silver Mine. A super pace is set by Pookie and Littleton, and Lil’ Ed really winds it out on slide. This is a terrific closer for a really strong release for the Blues Imperials.
Discography Links: Studio Albums
- Roughhousin’ (1986)
- Chicken, Gravy & Biscuits (1989)
- What You See Is What You Get (1992)
- Get Wild! (1999)
- Heads Up! (2002)
- Rattleshake (2006)
- Full Tilt (2008)
- Jump Start (2012)
- The Big Sound of Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials (2016)
- Slideways (2026)
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