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Johnnie Johnson
I'm Just Johnnie
Missouri Morning Records |
Piano master
Johnnie Johnson enjoyed a 50+ year career,
playing on many of Chuck Berry's classic hits (“Maybelline,”
“Roll Over Beethoven,” “Brown-Eyed Handsome
Man,” “Almost Grown,” “Carol,” “Back in the
USA,” and numerous others). The pair enjoyed a
ten year collaboration.
Johnson also played
with Albert King, and was a fixture on the St.
Louis blues scene for many years, also enjoying
a solo career which produced several albums
between 1987 and 2004.He passed away at the age
of 80 in April of 2005.
I'm Just Johnnie
(Missouri Morning Records) was recorded between
2001 and 2004, featuring the piano man with a
host of guest stars, including Bruce Hornsby,
Johnny Rivers, Bonnie Raitt, and John Sebastian.
Johnson handles the vocals on several tracks,
but other singers include Kenny Rice (Johnson's
longtime drummer), Henry Lawrence (former
All-Pro tackle for the Oakland Raiders), and
Charles Glenn (St. Louis Blues National Anthem
singer for 19 years).
These were Johnson's
last recordings and they are featured on the
first disc of this two-disc set.
Johnson takes the mic for the title track, which
opens the disc. It's a swinging autobiographical
track that fits well with his vocals. “I Get
Weary” is a soulful blues ballad with Glenn on
vocals and Max Baker on guitar.
Following is the the
blues standard, “Every Day I Have The Blues,” an
upbeat version which features Johnson and
Hornsby sharing lead vocals and piano duties,
along with Raitt on slide guitar and backing
vocals.
Rivers contributed
two songs to the set, the first being the earthy
blues “Lo Down,” with Lawrence on vocals and
Rivers adding guitar. Another standard follows,
this one a rollicking take of “Let The Good
Times Roll,” with vocals from drummer Rice and
more terrific slide guitar from Ms. Raitt.
“Three Handed
Woman,” a hit for Louis Jordan in the early
'50s, gets a solid treatment with vocals and
piano from Johnson and sublime fretwork from
Tony T.
Johnson also sings on the sturdy shuffle “Broke
The Bank,” and adds some outstanding work on
piano, leading to a great harmonica solo from
Sebastian. “Blues In G” is a wonderful
instrumental with Johnson on piano, backed by
Tom Maloney on guitar, Gus Thornton on bass, and
Rice on drums.
Lawrence returns on
vocals for another classic cover, “Stagger Lee,”
leading into the second Rivers tune, the slow
blues “Johnnie Johnson Blues,” on which the
piano master narrates the story of his life.
“Heebie Jeebies” is
a horn-driven original, written by Johnson,
producer Gene Ackmann, and bassist Dickie
Steltenpohl, with a raucous vocal from Glenn.
The cool instrumental, “Long Gone,” with
Johnson, Maloney, Thornton, and Rice, closes the
disc in glorious fashion.
Other musical
contributors to these songs include Jim Manley
(trumpet), Ray Vollmar (sax), Paul Willett (B3),
Andy O'Connor (drums), Bob Hammett (guitar),
Greg Trampe (organ), Mark Kerster (drums), Larry
Smith (baritone sax), Elliot Doc Simpson
(trumpet), Tom O'Brien (tenor sax), Ray
McAnallen (trombone), Richard Hunt (drums), Bill
Sextro (trumpet), and backing vocalists Liz
Henderson, Pat Liston, Cindy Ankelman, Seth
Hutcherson, Amay Thorn, and Laura Hanson.
The second disc
consists of Johnson being interviewed by Sirius
XM DJ / Radio Hall of Famer Pat St. John. Raitt
sings the piano man's praises, while Ackmann
discusses the production of the album and the
role of some of the contributors in the session
and the influence of Johnson in their own
careers. It's definitely worth a listen.
It's obvious from
listening to the album that the entire group had
a blast making I'm Just Johnnie, and it
makes one wonder why it took 20 years for this
session to see the light of day.
Fortunately,
whatever the reasons, the final product is out
there for public consumption, bringing
much-deserved attention to one of the pioneers
of the blues and rock n' roll genres --- Johnnie
Johnson.
--- Graham Clarke
