A prodigious guitarist at an early age, Willie George
Hale earned the nickname "Little Beaver" from
friends in family in Arkansas, remarking on his
prominent teeth. Over the years Hale would make a
name for himself as a reliable session guitarist,
appearing on recordings by Betty Wright, Al
Kooper, and Blowfly, and gradually developing his
own distinct, rhythmic style of blues guitar playing.
As the mid-70s approached Hale would embark on
his own solo career, cutting albums and singles with
Florida's TK Records, working alongside famed
musicians like Jaco Pastorius, Benny Latimore, and
Timmy Thomas. His career effectively ended in the
1980s with TK's collapse, but he would find new life
in 2003 after performing on several Joss Stone
albums, and his works would be sampled in hip-hop
tunes by the likes of Jay-Z, Slum Village, and
People Under The Stairs.
Hale's solo debut (Released under the Little Beaver
moniker) came in 1972 and was titled Joey. The
album found minor commercial success, and set
the groundwork for Hale's continuing solo career.
Joey featured a variety of takes on classic blues,
ranging from the bounding, shuffling chart hit "I'm
Losin' The Feelin'", to the lushly orchestrated BB
King-like "That's How It Is", all bolstered with Hale's
exclusive take on the blues guitar sound. Songs
from Joey would later be covered by Gwen
McCrae, and Blowfly, among others.
| A1 | Joey | 3:37 |
| A2 | Give A Helping Hand | 4:00 |
| A3 | I'm Losin' The Feelin | 3:33 |
| A4 | What The Blues Is | 6:15 |
| A5 | That's How It Is | 3:45 |
| B1 | Katie Pearl | 11:26 |
| B2 | Two Steps From The Blues | 7:00 |
