Little Sonny

   At Ethel's Lounge, October 10-11

   Aaron "Little Sonny" Willis (reportedly so named in honor ot his musical relationship to the late great Sonny Boy Williamson ) doesn't play around Detroit much these days, having ascended to the rare status of an active recording artist much in demand on blues circuits all over the country. thus it's a rare treat when this Motor City harmonica star can be heard in the setting which helped produce his daring, uncompromising musical approach, and the folks who turned out tor Sonny at  Ethel's Cocktail Lounge on the cast side (Mack Avenue east of Grand Blvd.) last weekend were not sparing in their appreciation for the home-town favorite.

    Dancing and prancing in front of a young back-up band, the C.O.D.'s (augmented for the occasion by Little Sonny's sons Tony on bass and Aaron Jr. on lead guitar), Sonny knocked out a set including his own compositions "The Day You Left Me," "They Want Money (That's What They Want), The Creeper Returns" (a modest hit single for Stax-Fnterprise), and "A Woman Named Trouble.his singing and playing were strong as ever. and he warmed the crowd even further when he announced at the end of the last show that he would be back at Ethel's tor two more days this coming weekend. Oct. I7-18.

     Ethel's is to be commanded tor this stellar booking, and tor its long-standing commitment to presenting the blues here in town. Following Little Sonny will be the dynamite duo of Sani & Dave. and there are some great neighborhood blues jams to be found there from time to time, if one is lucky enough to hear about them before they're over. Blues fans should check this fine club out, ind you might also try the Thursday night sets at Ben's Hi Chapparal, East Forest at Gratiot, where the Fabulous Coachman and the Detroit Blues Club do their thing every week. The Motor City has a rich and continuing blues heritage, of which Little Sonny ís only one dynamite part, and his success-- such as it is-- reflects well on the whole scene. Thanks for stopping back, Little Sonny. We loved it.

                         ---JS