MASTER
The Hidden Gem Music ClubDatyon, OH, United States
 
 

Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials with The Doug Hart Band

By The Hidden Gem Music Club (other events)

Friday, March 28 2025 8:00 PM 11:00 PM EST
 
ABOUT ABOUT

Multiple Blues Foundation awards winners, just inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame.

Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials take the stage at The Hidden Gem Music Club in Dayton, OH for a great evening of blues. From smoking slide guitar boogies to raw-boned Chicago shuffles to the deepest slow blues, guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Lil’ Ed Williams is an awe-inspiring master bluesman. The band’s big sound, fueled by Lil’ Ed’s gloriously rollicking slide work and deep blues string bending, along with his rough-edged, soulful vocals, is as real and hard-hitting as Chicago blues gets. The Chicago Sun-Times says, “Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials are the hottest purveyors of bottleneck boogie to come out of Chicago since Hound Dog Taylor.”

Lil’ Ed Williams comes to the blues naturally. His uncle, Chicago slide guitar king and master songwriter J.B. Hutto, taught him how to feel, not just play the blues. Nine albums and thousands of performances later, Lil’ Ed is now universally hailed as a giant of the genre. Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials—bassist (and Ed’s half-brother) James “Pookie” Young, guitarist Mike Garrett and drummer Kelly Littleton—have remained together for nearly 30 years (an extraordinary feat for any group), the band fueling Ed’s songs with their rock-solid, road-tested, telepathic musicianship

 

Doug Hart  has grown into a staple of the southwest Ohio blues scene, and have earned the right to complete in The International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN four times. These experiences allowed Doug to extend his musician network and provided him opportunities to play famous venues including Stevie Ray’s Blues Bar (Louisville, KY); Buddy Guy’s Legends (Chicago, IL); and B.B. King’s, Alfred's, The Rum Boogie Cafe and Club 152 in Memphis, TN. He has shared the stage or played the same festivals with Albert Cummings, Mike Zito, Noah Wotherspoon, Ana Popovich and Lonnie Baker Brooks, among countless others. 

Doug released his debut album “Reckless Life” in 2005. He calls it a “Blues/Rock journey for the soul”. The long awaited follow up is in the works.

Doors 7pm
Music 8pm
$20 presale, $25 at the door
All Ages Welcome