Jimmy Williams & Red Ellis - Little David's Harp

(Jessup MB-154) 1977

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As far as I can tell this was the last album to be released by Jimmy Williams, and his last reunion with Red Ellis.

The LP seems to feature all original sacred songs, although I've been unable to find writing credits for Like His Love and Leave Behind. Some are thinly disguised re-writes of more well known tunes, with All Of Your Love being based on the melody from Jim Eanes' I Cried Again; I'll Tell You The Reason being lifted from Tragic Romance; and Everybody Ought To Know having the same melody as Six More Miles.

The album has one instrumental - Run Devil, Run, which features Jimmy's mandolin work quite prominently with a chromatic banjo break & fiddle break, but has an annoying fade-out half way through the tune, where the sound fades completely out and back in again.

Jimmy's powerful soulful vocals are evident throughout, but are particularly strong on Little David's Harp, Stop, and Leave Behind. One track, Like His Love also has an interesting wall-of-sound vocal effect, but consequently suffers from a slightly muddy sound, presumably from multiple overdubs.

Backing on the album is mainly by Gene Saylor, Virgil Shouse and Lynn Hall, with Jimmy Williams' son Virgil singing harmony on five tracks plus two playing banjo. Jimmy's wife Phyllis also handles the bass on these two songs. (Sing Your Song, Jimmy and Leave Behind).

Incidentally Lynn Hall played bass on some tracks on Ralph's Sing Michigan Bluegrass LP on Jessup. He was the son of Jim and Jeannie Hall, who recorded a Gospel LP as Jeannie Hall - 'He Walks Beside Me' (Jessup MB-110) 1971. The latter included Lynn on banjo, Jimmy Williams (mandolin), Virgil Shouse (fiddle) and Phyllis Williams (bs); along with Jim Hall on guitar and Jeannie Hall on vocals.

Overall 'Little David's Harp' isn't quite as strong as much of Jim Williams & Red Ellis' Starday material, but is still well worth hearing.

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