The Little Willies

Five friends who each pursued independent musical endeavors came together in 2003 simply because they wanted to perform as a unit, giving rise to the Little Willies. The lineup featured Lee Alexander on bass, Norah Jones handling piano and vocals, Richard Julian on guitar and vocals, Dan Rieser at the drums, and Jim Campilongo on guitar. Their debut appearance came via a single evening slot at the Living Room in New York’s Lower East Side. Drawn to the same well of classic American songwriters that included Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson, the musicians filled the set with renditions of those artists’ material. What began as an isolated show evolved into occasional return engagements at the same venue, scheduled around the members’ other commitments and gradually augmented by newly written material. Plans for a live recording gave way to studio sessions instead, resulting in the self-titled album that Milking Bull Records released in March 2006. Early in 2012 the group issued a second collection of alt-country standards titled For the Good Times, spotlighting covers of Cal Martin’s “Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves,” Loretta Lynn’s “Fist City,” Kris Kristofferson’s “For the Good Times,” and Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”