As much as I enjoy all the new and contemporary blues music floating around, I love finding “new” old artists whose work has gone unnoticed or unrecognized.
Soulful Sonny Green is one of those artists.
And thanks to the Little Village Foundation, we can hear the first album this exciting singer has recorded in his 77 years — “Found! One Soul Singer.”
That’s right. Even though he’s recorded a handful of singles over the years, he’s never recorded a full album. But he came out of Louisiana singing as a teen, and moved to the Los Angeles area, where he’s been showing off his soulful pipes for more than 40 years.
So he’s one of those “new” performers who’s bringing back some crackling old-school music. And it’s a master class.
Green delivers a soulful lesson, whether he’s delivering a chestnut like Little Milton’s “If Walls Could Talk,” Rick Estrin’s torchy “I Beg Your Pardon,” an old Willie Nelson ballad “Are You Sure,” or the funky “Cupid Must Be Stupid,” with a snappy sax solo by Terry Hanck, who shares songwriting on that track with Jojo Russo and guitarist/producer, the omnipresent Christoffer “Kid” Andersen.
“If You Want Me to Keep on Loving You” soars as Green updates his 1971 single, while Andersen turns in a fiery solo. Alabama Mike lends his tasty vocal chops to a duet with Green on “Trouble.” And there are even more cuts on the album, all designed to fill any hole that may exist in your soul.
Enjoy this one with a shot of nostalgia for music the way it used to be made.
Green hasn’t exactly been a household word during his long career, so not a lot has been written about him, but here’s a profile published in Living Blues magazine in 2015.
And similarly, there’s not a lot of performance video around, but here are two for your viewing pleasure. The first is a a 1991 performance, the second from a 2014 show. He’s still got some cool sartorial chops.
Here’s the track list for the album:
1. I’m So Tired
2. If Walls Could Talk
3. I Beg Your Pardon
4. Are You Sure
5. Cupid Must Be Stupid
6. Blind Man
7. Back For A Taste Of Your Love
8. If You Want Me To Keep Loving You
9. Trouble (w/ Alabama Mike)
10. I Got There
11. Be Ever Wonderful
Blues Roadhouse 