Son Little is an old school rhythm-and blues harmonist from Philadelphia. Born Aaron Livingston, his sound is influenced by blues musicians such as Buddy Guy and Gary Clark Jr. as well as R&B musicians like Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson. There is an element of soul in his music that is defined by his father, who is a preacher. We invited Son Little into our studio for a session in Manhattan.
Despite Son Little’s youth, he has collaborated with a range of musicians across all musical spectrums. Some of these musicians include hip-hop group The Roots, scratch wizard RJD2, and soul goddess Mavis Staples. He has cited some of his influences as Kendrick Lamar and Paul McCartney. Songs like “Lay Down” portray the wide variety of musicians whom he looks up to. His debut album under his current moniker arrived in 2015 and is quite a treat to behold. With songs like the aforementioned “Lay Down,” “The Man In Me” and “Your Love Will Blow Me Away When My Heart Aches,” Son Little has quite a great variety of tracks under his belt. All of the mentioned songs were performed during this session, so be prepared for a historical trip throughout the musical spectrum with Son Little.
—Ben Rosner