The Little Willies have reconvened to record For The Good Times, the rousing follow-up to their eponymous 2006 debut, which will be released by EMI’s Milking Bull Records in January 2012. The band will be previewing songs from the new album at a few select shows this fall: The Bell House in Brooklyn on October 26, the World Cafe 20th Anniversary Tribute Concert with John Hiatt and the Indigo Girls in Philadelphia on October 28 and the Westhampton PAC in Westhampton, NY on October 29.
The Little Willies – Lee Alexander (bass), Jim Campilongo (guitar), Norah Jones (piano, vocals), Richard Julian (guitar, vocals) and Dan Rieser (drums) – first formed in 2003 as an excuse for the five friends to spend a night playing music together at The Living Room on New York’s Lower East Side, but the gig proved too fun for both the musicians and audience for it to remain a one-off. Despite hailing from the far corners of the country – California, Massachusetts, Texas, Delaware – the members of band all grew up listening to a certain breed of classic American music, and relished the opportunity to perform some of their favorite country classics and lesser-known gems.
People magazine praised the “lovingly rendered covers” on their debut album, while The New York Times raved about the band’s “wild card” guitarist Jim Campilongo, who they dubbed “a hotshot on the Fender Telecaster,” clearly wowed by his stinging guitar licks that punctuate Norah Jones’ and Richard Julian’s sublime vocals. For The Good Times is another stellar collection of country covers from some of The Little Willies’ favorite songwriters, including Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Lefty Frizell, and Dolly Parton.
The track listing for For The Good Times is as follows:
1. I Worship You (Ralph Stanley)
2. Remember Me (Scott Wiseman)
3. Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves (Cal Martin)
4. Lovesick Blues (Cliff Friend/Irving Mills)
5. Tommy Rockwood (Jim Campilongo)
6. Fist City (Loretta Lynn)
7. Permanently Lonely (Willie Nelson)
8. Foul Owl On The Prowl (Quincy Jones/Alan Bergman/Marilyn Bergman)
9. Wide Open Road (Johnny Cash)
10. For The Good Times (Kris Kristofferson)
11. If You’ve Got The Money I’ve Got The Time (Lefty Frizzell/Jim Beck)
12. Jolene (Dolly Parton)
THE LITTLE WILLIES – FALL 2011 TOUR DATES
Oct. 26, The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY
Oct. 28, World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA
Oct. 29, Westhampton Performing Arts Center, Westhampton, NY
