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Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials: Blues in the Blood

Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials.
Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials.

Lil' Ed carries the blues in his blood. His energetic onstage antics — everything from flying leaps to toe-walking — have helped him build a fervent fan base among blues enthusiasts. The Chicago band started out playing in clubs and cafes while its members worked day jobs to make ends meet, but it didn't take long for word of mouth to make the group a career unto itself.

Lil' Ed's uncle and mentor, legendary Chicago slide guitarist J.B Hutto, taught him all about blues, and by age 12, Lil' Ed was playing guitar, drums and bass. Today, his band has been together 25 years and released eight albums. The latest, Rattleshake, features Lil' Ed's amazing guitar skills and rough vocals while drawing from his band's raw live energy. From wild, house-rocking romps to slow, oozing blues, Rattleshake sounds likely to inspire all manner of movement.

Copyright 2006 XPN

David Dye is a longtime Philadelphia radio personality whose music enthusiasm has captivated listeners of World Cafe® since 1991. World Cafe is produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania.