William John Flynn

b. August 11th, 1956 in Green Bay (Wisconsin)

PLAYS A WHOLE LOTTA BLUES

Sunflower (only on cassette)

1988

LEAVIN' IN THE MORNING

Easy Baby

August 1989 / June 1990

Passionné de guitare, il est repéré par Jimmy Dawkins qui le prend dans son groupe dès 1975 (il reste avec lui une quinzaine d'années environ). Avec ce grand bluesman, Billy perfectionne son style et devient rapidement un guitariste habile. Il a fait une importante carrière de sideman derrière Sunnyland Slim, Willie Kent, "Little" Smokey Smothers, Snooky Pryor, Big Bill Morganfield et a fait partie des groupes Legendary Blues Band et Mississippi Heat. Billy a aussi entamé une carrière en solo. Il propose ce second album sur sa propre marque Easy Baby. Bien soutenu par une section rythmique expérimentée (Calvin Jones, Willie Smith), Billy délivre un bel album de Chicago Blues.

Passionate about guitar, he was spotted by Jimmy Dawkins who took him into his backing band in 1975 (he stayed with him for around fifteen years). With this great bluesman, Billy perfected his style and quickly became a skilled guitarist. He had an important career as a sideman behind Sunnyland Slim, Willie Kent, "Little" Smokey Smothers, Snooky Pryor, Big Bill Morganfield and was part of the Legendary Blues Band and Mississippi Heat. Billy also began a solo career. He offers this second album on his own Easy Baby imprint. Well supported by an experienced rhythm section (Calvin Jones, Willie Smith), Billy delivers a nice Chicago Blues album.

BIG GUITAR

Easy Baby

1990 - 1996

BLUES TODAY

Easy Baby

November 1993

Billy s'est entouré de beaux musiciens pour cet album : Pinetop Perkins, Willie Kent, Ted Harvey, Bob Stroger, Ken Saydak. Avec eux, il délivre un solide album de Blues bien joué et bien produit. La moitié de la tracklist étant des morceaux instrumentaux.

Billy surrounded himself with great musicians for this album : Pinetop Perkins, Willie Kent, Ted Harvey, Bob Stroger, Ken Saydak. With them, he delivers a well played and well produced solid Blues album. Half of the tracklist being instrumental tracks.

BLUES AND LOVE

Easy Baby

April 2001

Pour ce nouvel album, Billy a étoffé le son de sa musique. Superbe guitariste au jeu subtil et chanteur honnête, il s'entoure d'un beau groupe composé de son frère Mike Flynn (basse), Rob Waters (orgue, piano), Kenny Smith (batterie) et les cuivres Bobby Neely et Jesse Scinto. On peut noter aussi la chanteuse Nora Jean Wallace sur quatre morceaux. Billy a opté ici pour un son plus contemporain et des influences plus variées. On apprécie, en particulier, "Crazy 'bout Mary", "Blues is a feelin'", "Missin' you", "Spring again", "How long has it been".

For this new album, Billy has expanded the sound of his music. A superb guitarist with subtle playing and an honest singer, he surrounds himself with a great backing band made up of his brother Mike Flynn (bass), Rob Waters (organ, piano), Kenny Smith (drums) and horns Bobby Neely and Jesse Scinto. We can also note the singer Nora Jean Wallace on four tracks. Billy opted here for a more contemporary sound and more varied influences. We particularly like "Crazy 'bout Mary", "Blues is a feelin'", "Missin' you", "Spring again", "How long has it been".

CHICAGO BLUES MANDOLIN

Easy Baby

March 2005

Comme son titre l'indique, Billy Flynn joue ici de la mandoline dans la continuation des grands bluesmen que furent Johnny Young et Yank Rachell (auxquels l'album est dédié). Il joue un répertoire de Chicago Blues traditionnel avec "Mandolin special", "Stealin' my jelly", "Hi-way blues", "Billy's mandolin boogie".

As his title indicates, Billy Flynn plays the mandolin here in the continuation of the great bluesmen Johnny Young and Yank Rachell (to whom the album is dedicated). He plays a traditional Chicago Blues repertoire with "Mandolin special", "Stealin' my jelly", "Hi-way blues", "Billy's mandolin boogie".

BILLY'S BLUES

Easy Baby

March 2005

Toujours sur son label personnel Easy Baby, Billy continue de tracer sa carrière solo. Comme d'habitude, le programme est bien exécuté et vaut l'écoute même s'il reste relativement conventionnel. L'album semble construit comme une anthologie de différents styles de blues. Plutôt sympathique dans l'ensemble mais sans beaucoup de flamme.

Still on his personal label Easy Baby, Billy continues to chart his solo career. As usual, the program is well executed and worth listening to even if it remains relatively conventional. The album seems built as an anthology of different styles of blues. Rather likeable overall but without much fire.

BLUES DRIVE

Land O' Blues

2009

Voici un double album ambitieux dans lequel Billy Flynn n'a que partiellement atteint ses objectifs. Le premier CD consacré au Blues présente des compositions bien jouées mais manquant un peu d'originalité et de flamme. Le second CD s'ouvre à des sonorités entre Funk et Rock mais sans véritable inspiration (à noter tout de même un étonnant "Sitar blues").

Here is an ambitious double album in which Billy Flynn has only partially achieved his objectives. The first CD dedicated to Blues presents well-played compositions but lacking a little originality and fire. The second CD showcases sounds between Funk and Rock but without real inspiration (although note a surprising "Sitar blues").

LONESOME HIGHWAY

Delmark

2017

Billy Flynn propose enfin un album pour le label Delmark, lui qui fut le guitariste de nombreuses séances pour le label. Malgré un programme un peu long, on peut ressortir "Good navigator" (en duo avec Deitra Farr), "Lonesome highway", "The In crowd", "The lucky kind", "The right track", "I feel 'um".

Billy Flynn finally offers an album for the Delmark label, he who was the guitarist for numerous sessions for the label. Despite a somewhat long program, we can point out "Good navigator" (a duet with Deitra Farr), "Lonesome highway", "The In crowd", "The lucky kind", "The right track", "I feel 'um".