Page 38 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2022

Photo by Ÿ Marilyn Stringer
label. “Since Pete and I had been together in Jimmy Walker’s Although Branch was billed solo on 1995’s The Blues Keep
band, he said, ‘Hey, man, you know, I’m starting a record Following Me Around on Verve/Gitanes, he split vocals with
company. Let’s make a record!’” said Billy, who fronted the Weathersby. “I felt that the guys I had in my band were far better
swaggering title track. singers than I was,” says Billy. Satisfy Me, his solo encore CD,
Bassist J.W. Williams insisted on incorporating the name finally spotlighted his singing exclusively. Yet Branch’s major
of his own band, the Chi-Town Hustlers, when he joined the label hookup didn’t do as well as hoped. “Those were well-
group in 1982. “Jay did not want to relinquish the usage of produced recordings with substantial budgets,” he says. “But
Chi-Town Hustlers,” said Branch. Those two monikers shared the downside was they didn’t do any promotion on them.”
billing when the band contributed the funky “The Only Thing Branch is also a longtime educator, launching his Blues in
That Saved Me” to Alligator’s 1987 anthology The New the Schools program in 1978. “There was a grant available
Bluebloods with Williams handling its roaring vocal. from the Illinois Arts Council, and I applied, and that was
Carl Weathersby was the band’s guitarist by then, his the first of many,” he says. Since then, Billy has led similar
crisp, stinging licks meshing brilliantly with Branch’s soaring programs around the globe. Along the way, the harmonica
harmonica as J.W. and Mose kept the grooves cooking. When master has racked up numerous accolades, including three
Williams split, Nick Charles came into the SOBs on bass
and remained aboard until his passing. Billy’s current band Blues Music Awards and three GRAMMY nominations.
lineup includes guitarist Giles Corey, pianist Sumito “Ariyo” Is there still room for growth in the blues? “Absolutely. I see
Ariyoshi, and bassist Marvin Little. Alligator’s acclaimed it. And I’m encouraged. For one thing, I see the entry of a lot
Showdown! album, loaded with hot guitar, inspired label more young people. Specifically, a lot more African American
boss Bruce Iglauer to unite Wells, Bell, Cotton and Branch for youngsters,” says Billy. “It does my heart good. Even though
the 1990 album Harp Attack!, a Chicago blues harmonica these youngsters weren’t in my classes, I feel like somehow,
summit meeting. “That was Bruce’s idea,” says Billy. “When I feel a part of this because this is what I cultivated all these
he assembled Carey, Cotton and Junior, he told them that he years, and this is what I hoped for.”
needed a fourth harmonica player. They unanimously said,
‘Get Billy!’” Bill Dahl has been writing professionally about blues and soul
“It was loose, and it was just like a reunion. It wasn’t a for 45 years, specializing in liner notes for reissue CDs along
competitive vibe at all. It was just like, ‘Hey, let’s just have some with compiling them. He also writes about vintage music for
fun and get it done!’” says Branch, who wrote “New Kid On various magazines, websites and other publications. His
The Block” for the occasion. “That was the autobiographical website, billdahl.com, contains more information about his
account of how those guys used to blow me off the stage!” writing activities.

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