Billy Branch's Wonderful Salute to Little Walter

Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues
Roots And Branches — The Songs Of Little Walter
Alligator Records

Now after performing for almost four and half decades, Billy Branch has established himself as among today's leading harmonica players, if not the heir to the Chicago harmonica throne. Here he turns his attention to the music of perhaps the greatest of blues harmonica players, Little Walter. He recalls as a youth "During my early, formative years, I would sit in every chance I got. I listened and absorbed every harmonica player that I would encounter, young, old, black or white. I just wanted to get as good as I could. Many times I would engage in "head-cutting" contests with Junior Wells, James Cotton, Carey Bell, and the great late Big Walter Horton." He may have had his head cut, but he grew and learned from these masters.

But he never had the chance to hear or meet Little Walter. "Once I began my quest to become a skilled blues harmonica player, it wasn’t long before I realized that there was one person that was an absolute must to listen to and emulate—Little Walter. It quickly became apparent that Little Walter was "The Man." All of the cats on the scene who were around my age said it, including seasoned players such as Rick Estrin and Jerry Portnoy. This was echoed by the guys who would eventually become my teachers and friends: Junior Wells, Carey Bell and James Cotton. … Good Rockin’ Charles, Charlie Musselwhite, Easy Baby, Eddie "Jewtown" Burks, Little Arthur Duncan, Lester Davenport, Golden Wheeler, and Louis Myers were other great harp men who all testified that the genius of Little Walter’s playing was unequaled."

His expressed his intent with respect to this recording" "We were determined not to make this a 'typical' Little Walter tribute recording. We are proud to present an album with elements of soul, funk and even a little bit of gospel. Our goal was to competently and respectfully produce a Little Walter-themed recording with a different twist, while preserving the integrity of Little Walter’s innovative style." The Sons of the Blues backing Billy Branch on this are Sumito "Ariyo" Ariyoshi on piano; Giles Corey on guitar; Marvin Little on bass; and Andrew "Blaze" Thomas on drums. On one track, Shoji Naito replaces Corey on guitar.

Branch is a superb singer and harmonica player and the Sons of the Blues do a stellar job accompanying him with the feel being more of the later Checker recordings with guitarists like Luther Tucker or Freddy Robinson as opposed to Louis Myers and Robert Lockwood. The authority with which Branch handles the opening "Nobody But You" is characteristic of this entire recording with his marvelous vocal and superb harmonica solo with Corey adding a sizzling solo to his comping and chords. "Mellow Down Easy" is one instance to demonstrate how original is the arrangement of the material. It opens with some full-bodied amplified harmonica along with a vocal where he emphasizes "easy," while his harmonica solo floats over the backing. Corey and pianist Ariyoshi also solo while the rhythm duo lay down a firm groove.

Corey hints at Bo Diddley's playing on the original of "Roller Coaster," although Corey's playing is less trebly. This is a tour de force for Branch's playing, full of swoops and leaps. It is followed by "Blue and Lonesome" with Corey's intense guitar matched by Branch's chromatic harmonica solo. Willie Dixon's "My Babe" was based on "This Train," but Branch and the Sons of the Blues transform the melody with a jazzy, Latin tinge. Again he plays brilliant harmonica on a performance that includes a shift of tempo and some hot guitar. Similarly, they rearrange "Juke," with a funky groove into the contours of which Branch lays down his solo. Then there is a funky medley of "Just Your Fool/ Key to the Highway," with Corey's stinging guitar accompanying the vocal on the 1st part, while Branch's harmonica (with echoes of some of Carey Bell's harmonica effects) segues into the latter number.

Among the other Little Walter classics reworked here is a superb, rollicking "You're So Fine," with the band playing with unfettered abandon, and a terrific"Blues With a Feeling," that is the last track of the music on this. The album closes with some remembrances of Little Walter by his daughter, Marion Diaz. She adds a bit of a human dimension to the blues giant that Billy Branch and the Sons of the Blues honor in this superlative recording.

I received my review copy from Alligator. This will be released on Friday, July 5. Here is an older performance of Little Walter's "Hate to See You Go," from Billy Branch.