Born in 1925 in Worth County, Georgia, Jimmy Lee Williams picked up the guitar in 1941 and was soon learning traditional numbers like “Step It Up and Go” and “Highway 51”. Music ran in his family --- he was cousin to Buster Brown who was recorded by Alan Lomax in the ‘40s and who later had a hit with “Fannie Mae”. Williams played frequently at house parties but never recorded until George Mitchell did the honors in 1977 and 1982. These recordings reveal Williams to be a singular artist who had his own unique style of slightly droney solo electric blues that’s warm, open, and welcoming.

This record was released on the Swingmaster label out of the Netherlands in the 1980s and had long been a tough one for me to find, so I’m especially pleased to be able to offer it to you here. Some of these songs were included on the “Georgia Blues Today” compilation as well as the George Mitchell box set, and I believe all these tracks were included on the Hoot Your Belly CD issued on Fat Possum.