Willie Love

by Bill Dahl
 
Harpist Rice Miller, known to his legion of fans across the Delta as Sonny Boy Williamson, first encountered pianist Willie Love in Greenville, MS, in 1942. The talented pair played regularly on Nelson Street, the main drag of the Black section of Greenville, musically intertwining with remarkable empathy. And it was Williamson who brought Love into the fold at Trumpet Records (the label responsible for Loves entire recorded legacy as a leader).
 
Love was deeply influenced by Leroy Carr and equally conversant on boogies and down-in-the-alley blues. He played piano on several of Sonny Boy Williamsons Trumpet sessions, but Love didnt utilize his pal on any of his own 1951-1953 dates for the Jackson, MS, firm. Loves debut, Take It Easy, Baby, was a rollicking boogie outing, and he followed it up with the equally sturdy Everybodys Fishing, Vanity Dresser Boogie, and Nelson Street Blues. Loves last session in April of 1953 found him backed by a White bassist and drummer — certainly a rarity for the era. Four months later, Love, who had long suffered from alcoholism, was dead.