Zero Boy

In his younger days, Billy Boy Arnold was captivated by the recordings of Big Bill Broonzy. He even met the pre-war generation bluesmaster and asked him if he would play on his recording session (what Big Bill denied).
The 15 songs that Billy Boy selected for this CD, in collaboration with producer and guitarist Eric Noden, were ones that Big Bill recorded between the late 1930s and the early 1950s. Even though they represent only a small fraction of the several hundred songs Big Bill wrote over his thirty-year career, they showcase his versatility as a songwriter.
The talented musicians who have chosen to pay tribute to Big Bill have accomplished this successfully by playing in the spirit of his work rather than trying to reproduce it precisely as it was recorded…

This CD is a rocking session most notable for the strange voice of Preacher Boy, who makes Louis Armstrong sound like a tenor. Preacher Boy (listed as playing various guitars, mandolin, bass guitar, mellotron, banjo, accordion, organ, piano, melodica, corn whiskey jug, tamborine, washboard, trumpet, wrench and egg) is joined by a colorful and versatile group for a set of originals. Listeners who can get used to the leader's very raspy bullfrog voice (which dominates the music) will find this spirited program of rockish blues to have some moments of interest.

Bad Boy has created legends in the Midwestern rock scene for more than two decades. Founders Steve Grimm, John Marcelli, Joey LaVie, and Lars Hanson began their performance and songwriting careers in their teens as Crossfire. United Artists signed the band to a two album deal in 1977, but changed the name to Bad Boy, as the name Crossfire was already in use. Both albums, "The Band That Milwaukee Made Famous" and "Back To Back" reached the top 100 nationwide. Xeno joined the band after his years with Cheap Trick in the early 80's. Bad Boy released "Electric Eyes" and "Girl On The Run" on their own Streetwise and Legend labels which both received regional airplay with their singles Cheat On Me, Thunder and Lightning, and Midnight Love which drew national attention to the band once again.

Bad Boy has created legends in the Midwestern rock scene for more than two decades. Founders Steve Grimm, John Marcelli, Joey LaVie, and Lars Hanson began their performance and songwriting careers in their teens as Crossfire. United Artists signed the band to a two album deal in 1977, but changed the name to Bad Boy, as the name Crossfire was already in use. Both albums, "The Band That Milwaukee Made Famous" and "Back To Back" reached the top 100 nationwide. Xeno joined the band after his years with Cheap Trick in the early 80's. Bad Boy released "Electric Eyes" and "Girl On The Run" on their own Streetwise and Legend labels which both received regional airplay with their singles Cheat On Me, Thunder and Lightning, and Midnight Love which drew national attention to the band once again.

Sonny Boy Williamson was, in many ways, the ultimate blues legend. By the time of his death in 1965, he had been around long enough to have played with Robert Johnson at the start of his career and Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Robbie Robertson at the end of it. In between, he drank a lot of whiskey, hobo'ed around the country, had a successful radio show for 15 years, toured Europe to great acclaim, and simply wrote, played, and sang some of the greatest blues ever etched into Black phonograph records. His delivery was sly, evil and world-weary, while his harp-playing was full of short, rhythmic bursts one minute and powerful, impassioned blowing the next. His songs were chock-full of mordant wit, with largely autobiographical lyrics that hold up to the scrutiny of the printed page. Though he took his name from another well-known harmonica player, no one really sounded like him.

Rice Miller (or Alec or Aleck Miller – everything about this blues great is somewhat of a mystery) probably didn't need to take the name of the original Sonny Boy Williamson (John Lee Williamson) to get noticed, since in many ways he was the better musician, but Miller seemed to revel in confusion, at least when it came to biographical facts, so for whatever reason, blues history has two Sonny Boy Williamsons. Like the first Williamson, Miller was a harmonica player, but he really sounded nothing like his adopted namesake, favoring a light, soaring, almost horn-like sound on the instrument…

King Biscuit Time features Sonny Boy's early Trumpet sides from 1951. The original "Eyesight to the Blind," "Nine Below Zero" and "Mighty Long Time" are Sonny Boy at his very best. Added bonuses include Williamson backing Elmore James on his original recording of "Dust My Broom" and a live KFFA broadcast from 1965.

King Biscuit Time features Sonny Boy's early Trumpet sides from 1951. The original "Eyesight to the Blind," "Nine Below Zero" and "Mighty Long Time" are Sonny Boy at his very best. Added bonuses include Williamson backing Elmore James on his original recording of "Dust My Broom" and a live KFFA broadcast from 1965.

Highly-regarded blues singer and harmonica player, an unpredictable character, and a major figure of Chicago blues.
Sonny Boy Williamson was, in many ways, the ultimate blues legend. By the time of his death in 1965, he had been around long enough to have played with Robert Johnson at the start of his career and Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Robbie Robertson at the end of it. In between, he drank a lot of whiskey, hoboed around the country, had a successful radio show for 15 years, toured Europe to great acclaim and simply wrote, played and sang some of the greatest blues ever etched into black phonograph records. His delivery was sly, evil and world-weary, while his harp-playing was full of short, rhythmic bursts one minute and powerful, impassioned blowing the next…