by Bill Dahl His velvet-smooth vocal delivery to the contrary, Junior Parker was a product of the fertile postwar Memphis blues circuit whose wonderfully understated harp style was personally mentored by none other than regional icon Sonny Boy Williamson. Herman Parker, Jr. only traveled in the best blues circles from the outset. He learned his initial licks from Williamson and gigged with the mighty Howlin Wolf while still in his teens. Like so many young blues artists, Little Junior (as he was known then) got his first recording opportunity from talent scout Ike Turner, who brought him to Modern Records for his debut session as a leader in 1952. It produced the lone single Youre My Angel, with Turner pounding the 88s and Matt Murphy deftly handling guitar duties. Parker and his band, the Blue Flames (including Floyd Murphy, Matts brother, on guitar), landed at Sun Records in 1953 and promptly scored a hit with their rollicking Feelin Good (...