Recorded near the end of 2004, this is the last recording from Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Legend Johnnie Johnson. The first studio release from The Father Of Rock & Roll in ten years is also his last. After a hospita... more »l stay in August & September, Johnnie came back strong. Hale and hearty of spirit, he was in top playing form & always ready to play. You can hear his heart all through this recording, Johnnie s performance leading a band of world class St. Louis musicians through all original material. rock & roll, blues, & Johnnnie s unique hybrid of jazz, swing,& boogie woogie, laid on a foundation of blues & gospel. It is likely that Johnson knew this could be his last recorded statement. And it was a very personal project. Beach Weather is about Johnnie s life & frame of mind, Lucky Four about Johnson s fourth wife. Find Me a Woman, A Good Day, people who know Johnnie would tell you those lyrics could fit him as well. The 2 hard blues, just listen to Johnnie on em. Johnnie's was the deepest blues. The blues is at the base of everything Johnnie played. Johnnie would take you all the way home. Nobody did a turn around like Johnnie Johnson. Johnnie would make the earth move every time. All the songs on the project were a collaboration between Johnson, producer Jeff Alexander, & Rich McDonough. Mention must be given to the band. Rich McDonough is one of the finest guitar players on the scene today. His lead work through the 2 deep blues is exemplary, and his slide on Beach Weather is right on. The interplay between Johnson and McDonough through the entire recording is delightful, thrilling, and instructional. Gus Thornton's bass lines are tailor made for Johnnie Johnson, noone sounds like Gus. He is the man. And Joe Pastor is a wonderful, intuitive drummer. Listen to former Blues Brother frontman Larry Thurston sing "The Blues Don t Knock" and you may start a petition to bring him out of retirement. And Victor Johnson is another guy who should be a household name. There was a lot of feeling here. Johnnie Be Eighty. And Still Bad! Johnnie's last statement. Recorded on home turf, outside St. Louis, live in the studio, with friends.« less
Recorded near the end of 2004, this is the last recording from Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Legend Johnnie Johnson. The first studio release from The Father Of Rock & Roll in ten years is also his last. After a hospital stay in August & September, Johnnie came back strong. Hale and hearty of spirit, he was in top playing form & always ready to play. You can hear his heart all through this recording, Johnnie s performance leading a band of world class St. Louis musicians through all original material. rock & roll, blues, & Johnnnie s unique hybrid of jazz, swing,& boogie woogie, laid on a foundation of blues & gospel. It is likely that Johnson knew this could be his last recorded statement. And it was a very personal project. Beach Weather is about Johnnie s life & frame of mind, Lucky Four about Johnson s fourth wife. Find Me a Woman, A Good Day, people who know Johnnie would tell you those lyrics could fit him as well. The 2 hard blues, just listen to Johnnie on em. Johnnie's was the deepest blues. The blues is at the base of everything Johnnie played. Johnnie would take you all the way home. Nobody did a turn around like Johnnie Johnson. Johnnie would make the earth move every time. All the songs on the project were a collaboration between Johnson, producer Jeff Alexander, & Rich McDonough. Mention must be given to the band. Rich McDonough is one of the finest guitar players on the scene today. His lead work through the 2 deep blues is exemplary, and his slide on Beach Weather is right on. The interplay between Johnson and McDonough through the entire recording is delightful, thrilling, and instructional. Gus Thornton's bass lines are tailor made for Johnnie Johnson, noone sounds like Gus. He is the man. And Joe Pastor is a wonderful, intuitive drummer. Listen to former Blues Brother frontman Larry Thurston sing "The Blues Don t Knock" and you may start a petition to bring him out of retirement. And Victor Johnson is another guy who should be a household name. There was a lot of feeling here. Johnnie Be Eighty. And Still Bad! Johnnie's last statement. Recorded on home turf, outside St. Louis, live in the studio, with friends.
CD Reviews
Johnnie Johnson - The best blues and R & R piano player
Budman | Missouri | 05/02/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is one of those bittersweet things, yes it's Johnnie's latest release but also his last, this Cd was recorded not long before his passing.
Many times in the world of music CDs are released after the death of an artist, unfortunately many of those are old studio and live tapes that really weren't good enough to release the first time around but are put out just to have something "new" or just make a buck. That's the big difference between this release and those others, this was Johnnie's last recording that he wanted released.
Jeff Alexander dreamed up this project, he had used Johnnie for some tracks on a previous one. Jeff wrote the songs on this CD and produced it with Johnnie and his piano playing in mind, it was all recorded in the old fashioned way that the great blues songs of the past were recorded, live in studio with the whole band in one room, no fixes, just as it happened. All this adds up to just what you would want, lots of good piano based music with Johnnie doing what he does best, playing "live" with a good band. The band consists of Johnnie on piano, Larry Thurston - vocals on all but one track, Victor Johnson sings on the other track, Rich McDonough - guitar, Gus Thornton - bass, Joe Pastor - drums. Larry and Gus have performed many times in past years with Johnnie and this is one of the reasons they were picked to play on this disc.
This CD starts off with unique song, "Beach Weather" seems like an odd title for a blues song but when you realize that it was written about and for Johnnie Johnson then you start to get it. In a nutshell it's about Johnnie and his attitude towards life, to Johnnie it's "beach weather" every day, every day he is trying to make the best of life. Everyone including myself who had met Johnnie has the same comment, a nice and humble man, I think this song got it right. "Find Me A Woman" is a song with much truth in it. Basically its theme is find me a nice woman, not a mean woman, not a porcupine who will stick me.... That says it all for me. Lot's of piano with several solos throughout this one and ain't that a good thang.
I think "The Blues Don't Knock" has to be my favorite track, probably because I am a sucker for a good long slow groove not to mention a well written song too. This track is almost nine minutes long, the short version is.... You can run and hide but when it's time the blues will come and when the blues arrive the blues won't call or knock, the blues just walk right in. I think Larry's singing on this track it the best and most powerful I have heard from him. Johnnie's playing is the base (or should I say bass?) of this song, there are no piano solos on this one just the super boom, boom of Johnnie's piano playing all the way through, sure he hits some other notes here and there but the repeating piano line is just too much and too good. "Lucky Four" is another song written with Johnnie in mind. First (as you would expect) it's filled with the joyful and constant sound of Johnnie's piano with some nice solos too. The idea here is that four is Johnnie's lucky number because his fourth wife is a real jewel.
This disc gets a big change of pace on "Better Sell My House". This track has what you can only describe as a Howlin Wolf sound, imagine the Wolf's original sound and substitute Johnnie on piano and Victor "Big Daddy" Johnson for the Wolf. The subject matter is also "Wolf like" in that it's about the next door neighbor's wife, lines like "you know I like that man, I like his wife a whole lot more" and "right now the back door's wide open, she's on her knees scrubbing the floor" say it all. I have to admit that the first time through that this was my least favorite track probably because Victor's "wolf style" vocals are so radically different from Larry's but it has grown on me now and I like it. This is one of those songs that you really need to read the lyrics then think about it as you listen and then you will "get it".
The last track, "A Good Day" is a real cooker, it's upbeat and fast, lead by Johnnie's 88s. In some ways this track has that old time R&R style that many associate with the heyday of Chuck & Johnnie, I think it was a good note to finish this CD with, a happy song with a good message. Another side benefit of this CD is some great liner notes. Jeff has put down the who, what & where about this CD telling you how & why it all happened, I found his words about his association with Johnnie interesting and heartfelt, I also like written song lyrics and you get them all.
If you are a big Johnnie fan like me (and about everyone else I know) then this is a must for your collection. If you aren't familiar with Johnnie Johnson. (I ask is that possible? Is your cavemate Osama? Maybe you are Amish and have no radio or?.....No that's impossible). Let us just assume you just don't own any of Johnnie Johnson's music then I would say this, his last recording might be a good way to get you started then you can become a big Johnnie Johnson fan like everyone else I know.
You can find out more about this CD at www.cousinmoemusic.com .
Chris Puyear - moblues.org
"
Absolutely marvellous......
Ole Bo Andersen | Denmark | 08/28/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
".....you can use any superlatives you like. The great late J.Johnsons last recording has an extremely cool as well as intimate feeling. The songmaterial is simply awesome, written by Jeff Alexander, who is also the primus motor behind the project. (...)
If you are a genuine blues lover, then do yourself a huge favour and order this CD now! Also recommending the project
"School for fools" by Larry Thurston, wonderful CD as well."
The Big Kahuna
Jerry C. Calhoun | Ocoee, FL USA | 08/15/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you like the blues you're gonna love this. Johnny Johnson may be gone but his music lives on. This was his last recording, which is a shame because he didn't leave a large library of music. The song "The Blues Don't Knock" by itself is enough to warrant the purchase of this CD, yet luckily all of the tracks are good. Got the blues? Not if you don't own this."
Johnnie Be Bad SO Good!
Laurie L. Sammeth | New Jersey | 06/11/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If I was a piano I would not want anyone but Johnnie Johnson to play me. Beautiful, vital music. The melodies are magical, and Johnnie's left hand just fills up the songs. I love Rich McDonough's guitar playing! I love the whole band, and love the vocalists. The dynamics are incredible. You do not hear`this kind of dynamics in recordings enough anymore! The Blues Don't Knock is one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard! And Beach Weather is just a happy good time catchy stick in your brain not go away song. Johnnie was a special man. This is special music.
"
Johnnie Be 80 and Still Bad!
Mary C. | 05/31/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Johnnie Johnson's rolicking boogie woogie blues piano on tracks 1,2,4, and 6 make my blue days sunny! I can't feel down when his gifted fingers dance over the keyboard painting a happy sound! Track 3's "The Blues Don't Knock" is a true blues lovers delight with Johnnie painting the mournful sound with his piano talents, Rich McDonough's guitar crying from the innermost depths and Larry
Thurston's always great vocalization interpreting Jeff Alexander's intuitive lyrics. Thurston's smooth, rich sound is on all tracks except 5. Victor "Big Daddy" Johnson supplies the perfect vocal interpretation of a woman tortured man on "Better Sell My House." This CD of Johnnie Johnson at his best and still bad is a work of art. Thanks to Jeff Alexander for making it happen so the rest of us blues lovers can enjoy "Johnnie Be Eighty and Still Bad! Mary C., KZUM, Lincoln, NE"
Track Listings (6) - Disc #1