The Original Sonny Boy Williamson Vol. 2: The Later Years 1939-1947 
(John Lee \'Sonny Boy\' Williamson)
Released: 2008
Label: JSP
Format:[email protected]


This four-CD set is the perfect companion and complement to JSP\'s The Original Sonny Boy Williamson, Vol. 1, covering the blues harp legend\'s final eight years. John Lee \"Sonny Boy\" Williamson (aka Sonny Boy Williamson I) has, until fairly recently, been the odd man out in the story of Chicago blues stars, at least in terms of how history and posterity treated him. Having died in 1948, long before the significance of the blues or his work was recognized, he receded within the shadow cast by the older yet longer-lived name appropriator Sonny Boy Williamson II (aka Aleck Ford Miller), who got to record for Chess Records into the 1960s, and made it all the way to sessions with the likes of Eric Clapton and even a sadly never fulfilled intersection with the Band. The situation got even more frustrating for scholars when The New York Times, no less (known in the journalism trade as the newspaper of record), in a 1990s article about blues musicians being acknowledged with proper grave markers, obliterated any mention of the existence of John Lee Williamson in the course of telling of Miller/Williamson II\'s neglect. RCA\'s efforts at assembling John Lee \"Sonny Boy\" Williamson\'s music ended after two volumes and never got near the 1940s end of his output, and the only other effort to collect his work, by Document Records, was only available piecemeal, as hard to find imports. This set makes up for all of that, covering the man\'s output from beyond the point of his most well-known record and song, \"Good Morning Little Schoolgirl.\"

Williamson had a decade of life beyond that point, and the 104 sides here -- assembling his own credited singles as well as his recordings backing such legends as Yank Rachell and Big Joe Williams -- are well worth hearing. The man\'s music grew in sophistication and complexity across the 1940s as his lyrical and musical facility advanced. Thus, what starts out as fairly rudimentary Chicago blues, as an outgrowth of Delta blues, soon begins to anticipate and intersect with what became the early Aristocrat and Chess Records sounds of Muddy Waters and Little Walter. You get to hear Williamson turn from typical blues subjects (i.e., women) to topical material about the Second World War, and also start to play off of harder guitar sounds as the \'40s go on, and the recordings themselves evolve past the antique feel of those better-known early sides. The tendency, because he died so long ago -- 60-plus years at the time of this release -- is to hear his music as something out of another age, but by the fourth disc in this set you hear Williamson catching some of the same energy and vibe that Leonard Chess latched onto at just about the same time when he heard Walter and Muddy. And in terms of the names associated here, also along for the ride (and, at times, driving) are Big Bill Broonzy and Tampa Red, the ubiquitous Willie Dixon, and Big Maceo, Eddie Boyd, and Washboard Sam. (Indeed, on the basis of the sidemen alone, this set should be considered essential listening.) The sound quality ranges from very good to excellent, and the annotation by Neil Slaven is detailed and thorough, as is the accompanying discography. ~ Bruce Eder

The Original Sonny Boy Williamson: The Later Years (Disc A)


Tracklist

SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON
1. Honey Bee Blues - 3:10
2. I Been Dealing with the Devil - 2:50
3. War Time Blues - 2:58
4. Train Fare Blues - 2:50
5. Decoration Day Blues No.2 - 2:53
6. New Early in the Morning - 2:43
7. Welfare Store Blues - 2:52
8. My Little Machine - 3:01
9. Jivin\' the Blues - 2:54
YANK RACHEL
10. Hobo Blues - 3:32
11. It Seem Like a Dream - 2:52
12. Army Man Blues - 2:56
13. 38 Pistol Blues - 2:48
14. Worried Blues - 2:50
15. Biscuit Baking Woman - 3:07
16. Insurance Man Blues - 3:07
17. Up North Blues (There\'s a Reason) - 2:48
18. Western Union Man - 3:03
19. Big Apple Blues - 3:08
20. Springtime Blues - 3:03
21. My Baby Made a Change - 3:12
22. Shotgun Blues - 2:59
23. Coal & Iceman Blues - 3:05
24. Drink on, Little Girl - 3:07
25. Mattie Mae Blues - 3:07
26. I\'m Gonna Catch You Soon - 2:47

Personnel:
John Lee \'Sonny Boy\' Williamson - Vocals (1-9, 18-26), Harmonica (1-26)
Walter Davis - Piano (1)
Big Bill Broonzy - Guitar (1, 18-25)
Joshua Altheimer - Piano (2-9)
Fred Williams - Drums (2-9)
Yank Rachell - Guitar (10-17), Vocals (10-17)
William Mitchell - Bass (10-25)
Washboard Sam - Washboard (10-17)
Blind John Davis - Piano (18-26)
Ransom Knowling - Bass (26)

Track 1 Recorded 21 July 1939. Chicago
Tracks 2-9 Recorded  17 May 1940 Chicago
Tracks 10-17 Recorded 3 April 1941 Chicago
Tracks 18-25 Recorded 4 April 1941 Chicago
Track 26 Recorded 2 July 1941 Chicago

The Original Sonny Boy Williamson: The Later Years (Disc B)


Tracklist

SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON
1. Million Years Blues - 3:06
2. Shady Grove Blues - 2:52
3. Sloppy Drunk Blues - 3:16
4. She Was a Dreamer - 2:39
5. You Got to Step Back - 2:58
6. Ground Hog Blues - 2:44
7. Black Panther Blues - 2:33
8. Broken Heart Blues - 2:51
9. She Don\'t Love Me That Way - 2:42
10. My Black Name Blues - 2:46
11. I Have Got to Go - 2:48
YANK RACHEL
12. Yellow Yam Blues - 2:39
13. Tappin\' That Thing - 2:47
14. Rainy Day Blues - 2:51
15. Peach Tree Blues - 2:47
16. She Loves Who She Please - 2:55
17. Bye Bye Blues - 2:41
18. Loudella Blues - 2:51
19. Katy Lee Blues - 2:57
BIG JOE WILLIAMS
20. Throw a Boogie Woogie - 2:42
21. North Wind Blues - 2:54
22. Please, Don\'t Go - 2:47
23. Highway 49 - 3:13
24. Someday, Baby - 3:10
25. Break \'em on Down - 3:13
26. Love Me, Baby - 3:23

Personnel:
John Lee \'Sonny Boy\' Williamson - Vocals (1-11, 26), Harmonica (1-26)
Blind John Davis - Piano (1-11, 26)
Ransom Knowling - Bass (1-5)
Charlie McCoy - Guitar (6-11)
Alfred Elkins - Bass (6-26)
Washboard Sam - Washboard (6-19)
Big Bill Broonzy - Guitar (26)

Tracks 1-5 Recorded 2 July 1941 Chicago
Tracks 6-19 Recorded 11 December 1941 Chicago
Tracks  20-25 Recorded  12 December 1941 Chicago
Track 26 Recorded 30 July 1942 Chicago[

The Original Sonny Boy Williamson: The Later Years (Disc C)

Tracklist

SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON
1. What\'s Gettin\' Wrong with You - 2:51
2. Blues That Made Me Drunk - 3:01
3. Come on, Baby, and Take a Walk - 2:49
4. Miss Stella Brown Blues - 2:51
5. Desperado Woman Blues - 2:39
6. Win the War Blues - 2:48
7. Check Up on My Baby Blues - 2:46
8. G.M. & O. Blues - 2:43
9. We Got to Win - 2:43
10. Sonny Boy\'s Jump - 2:50
11. Elevator Woman - 2:42
BIG JOE WILLIAMS
12. Drop Down Blues - 2:56
13. Somebody\'s Been Worryin\' - 3:12
14. Wanita - 3:23
15. Vitamin A - 2:48
SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON
16. Early in the Morning - 3:02
17. The Big Boat - 2:59
18. Stop Breaking Down - 2:57
19. You\'re an Old Lady - 3:12
20. Sonny Boy\'s Cold Chills - 3:06
21. Mean Old Highway - 3:24
22. Hoodoo Hoodoo - 2:56
23. Shake the Boogie - 2:47
24. Mellow Chick Swing - 2:35
25. Polly, Put Your Kettle On - 2:30
26. Lacey Belle - 2:51

Personnel:
John Lee \'Sonny Boy\' Williamson - Vocals (1-11, 16-26), Harmonica (1-26)
Blind John Davis - Piano (1-7, 20-26)
Big Bill Broonzy - Guitar (1-3, 24-26)
Alfred Elkins - Bass (1-3)
Ted Summitt - Guitar (4-7)
Armand \'Jump\' Jackson - Drums (4-7, 12-15)
Eddie Boyd - Piano (8-11)
Big Sid Cox - Guitar (8-11)
Ransom Knowling - Bass (8-11, 20-23)
Big Joe Williams - Guitar (12-15), Vocals (12-15)
Big Macao - Piano (16-19)
Tampa Red - Guitar (16-19)
Charles Sanders - Drums (16-19, 24-26)
Willie James Lacey - Guitar (20-23)
Willie Dixon - Bass (24-26)

Tracks 1-3 Recorded 30 July 1942 Chicago
Tracks 4-7 Recorded 14 December 1944 Chicago
Tracks 8-11 Recorded 2 July 1945 Chicago
Tracks 12-15 Recorded 12 July 1945 Chicago
Tracks 16-19 Recorded 19 October 1945 Chicago
Tracks 20-23 Recorded 6 August 1946 Chicago
Tracks 24- 26 Recorded28 March 1947 Chicago

The Original Sonny Boy Williamson: The Later Years (Disc D)


Tracklist

SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON 
1. Apple Tree Swing - 2:26
BIG JOE WILLIAMS
2. Baby, Please, Don\'t Go - 2:47
3. Stack of Dollars - 2:48
4. Mellow Apples - 2:48
5. Wild Cow Moan - 2:54
6. Baby, Please, Don\'t Go (alt.) - 2:49
SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON
7. Wonderful Time - 3:04
8. Sugar Gal - 3:02
9. Willow Tree Gal - 3:13
10. Alcohol Blues - 2:50
11. Little Girl - 2:53
12. Blues About My Baby - 2:59
13. No Friend Blues - 2:52
14. I Love You for Myself - 3:01
15. Bring Another Half a Pint - 3:05
16. Southern Dream - 2:47
17. Rub a Dub - 2:40
18. Better Cut That Out - 3:00
[color=lime]BIG JOE WILLIAMS[/color]
19. P Vine Blues - 3:11
20. Bad & Weak Hearted Blues - 2:43
21. King Biscuit Stomp - 2:34
22. I\'m a Highway Man - 2:53
23. Banta Rooster Blues - 2:59
24. Mean Step Father Blues - 2:47
25. House Lady Blues - 2:57
26. Don\'t You Leave Me Here - 2:52

Personnel:
John Lee \'Sonny Boy\' Williamson - Vocals (1, 7-18 ), Harmonica (1-26)
Blind John Davis - Piano (1, 11-18 )
Big Bill Broonzy - Guitar (1, 11-18 )
Willie Dixon - Bass (1)
Charles Sanders - Drums (1)
Big Joe Williams - Guitar (2-6, 19-26), Vocals (2-6, 19-26)
Ransom Knowling - Bass (2-6, 11-26)
Judge Lawrence Riley - Drums (2-26)
Eddie Boyd - Piano (7-10)
Willie James Lacey - Guitar (7-10)

Track 1 Recorded 28 March 1947 Chicago
Tracks 2-6 Recorded 22 July 1947 Chicago
Tracks 7-10  Recorded 19 September 1947 Chicago
Tracks 11-18 Recorded 12 November 1947 Chicago
Tracks 19-26 Recorded 18 December 1947 Chicago