Harmonica, vocals and guitar with Big Joe Louis & His Blues Kings. Four compositions on their "Big Sixteen" album (1996). Also gigs as Little George Sueref & The Blue Stars, an outfit with one CD under its collective belt.
Big Joe Louis praises him in a Blueprint interview from July '97:
"George does all sorts of stuff. He's incredibly talented. Does all sorts of stuff. Does soul material which he writes; producing and so on. He's really come on. When he started playing with me, he'd only been playing for about a year and a half. Since then, you know, I can't praise him too highly. He plays guitar, harmonica, piano, played a bit of drums, plays double bass, bass guitar. Had a go at - he took up the trumpet once. He's certainly got it. Very annoying, he can pick up everything."
Photograph from the Station Tavern, Aug. 14, 1998
© Vanja Fridhammar
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Little George Sueref & The Blue Stars (at The Chelsea Blues Festival, June 24 2000): George Sueref: vocals, harp David Purdy: guitar Matt Radford: upright bass (w. Big Joe Louis & His Blues Kings) Mike Watts: drums (w. James Hunter Band, Big Joe Louis & His Blues KingsLewis Fielding (ex-LowerDown) acted as Blue Stars guitarist at April 2001 gig at Ray's Blues & Roots, London! |
| CD review at www.redlickrecords.co.uk - purveyors of fine blues records by mail order: LITTLE GEORGE SUEREF & THE BLUE STARS Featuring Lazy Lester and Jimmy Thomas Pussycat PCD001 Six Sixty Six, Feel So Lonesome, Tell Your Mother, Papers, Treat Your Daddy Right, Finger Lickin', The Clock, Living In The City, Everyday About This Time, I'm Leaving, 3-6-9, Catfish, Further On Down The Line, Rhythm Rockin' Boogie, Don't Take Your Daughter. Y'all know Little George - he helps to create that special downhome sound on Big Joe Louis And The Blues Kings recordings and gigs. Well right now, Big Joe is on leave bawling the blues with the Big Town Playboys (try their CD "Western World" BTP004 available at Red Lick) so Little George has taken the opportunity to make this cracking debut CD. The Blue Stars consist of David Purdy on guitar, Matt Radford on bass and Mike Watts on drums with George blowing tons of harp and stretching out on lead guitar on eight of the fifteen tracks. The first thing that strikes you though, is his voice - which is a high-register soulful instrument with hints of Ollie Nightingale and Johnnie Taylor and it's perfect for the material he's selected. Most of the tracks are self penned and sound as authentic and effective as the covers included here of songs by Howlin' Wolf, Ike Turner, John Lee Henly, Johnny Ace and Robert Petway. Then, of course, they've got their secret weapon in the great Lazy Lester who adds a bit of south Louisiana magic, playing harp on two tracks and rhythm guitar on a couple more. Another bonus is the beautiful collaboration between George and Jimmy Thomas on the highly effective Johnnie Taylor-style blues ballad "Everyday About This Time". I'm highly impressed with everything on the album but the standout moments are the powerfully, pervasive guitar work on "Don't Take Your Daughter", the driving pseudo-rockabilly rhythm on "Catfish" where the emphasis is on the great echo-filled drumming and the Fred McDowell choogle they get on "Feel So Lonesome". Then there's the tasty guitar and harp on "Papers", the rockin' good vocal and Sonny Boy gruntin' harp on "Finger Lickin'" and the rich textures on "Living In The City" with it's terrific harmonica solos and wonderful Magic Sam guitar licks. I tell ya, the whole CD is filled with good stuff and the more I listen - the more I like! This is one of the most impressive debut CDs I've heard for quite a while. |
Links:
www.littlegeorge.co.uk
BBC webpage on Little George Sueref