AS THE YEARS GO PASSING BY- JIMMY JOHNSON BLUES BAND

Chicago guitarist Jimmy Johnson didn't release his first full domestic album until he was 50 years old. He's determinedly made up for lost time ever since, establishing himself as one of the Windy City's premier blues artists with a twisting, unpredictable guitar style and a soaring, soul-dripping vocal delivery that stand out from the pack. Born into a musical family (younger brother Syl Johnson's credentials as a soul star are all in order, while sibling Mack Thompson was Magic Sam's first-call bassist), Jimmy Thompson moved to Chicago with his family in 1950. But his guitar playing remained a hobby for years -- he toiled as a welder while Syl blazed a trail on the local blues circuit. Finally, in 1959, Jimmy Thompson started gigging with harpist Slim Willis around the West Side. Somewhere down the line, he changed his surname to Johnson (thus keeping pace with Syl). Since there was more cash to be realized playing R&B during the 1960s, Jimmy Johnson concentrated on that end of the stylistic spectrum for a while. He led polished house bands on the South Side and West Side behind Otis Clay, Denise LaSalle, and Garland Green, also cutting an occasional instrumental 45. Johnson found his way back to the blues in 1974 as Jimmy Dawkins' rhythm guitarist. He toured Japan behind Otis Rush in 1975 (the journey that produced Rush's album So Many Roads -- Live in Concert). Living Chicago Blues, Vol. 1 With the 1978 release of four stunning sides on Alligator's first batch of Living Chicago Blues anthologies and the issue of Johnson's Whacks, his first full domestic set on Delmark the next year, Jimmy Johnson's star began ascending rapidly. North/South, the guitarist's 1982 Delmark follow-up, and the 1983 release of Bar Room Preacher by Alligator continued to propel Johnson into the first rank of Chicago bluesdom. Then tragedy struck: on December 2, 1988, Johnson was driving his band's van when it swerved off the road in downstate Indiana, killing bassist Larry Exum and keyboardist St. James Bryant. I'm a Jockey Understandably, Johnson, himself injured in the wreck, wasn't too interested in furthering his career for a time after the tragedy. But he was back back in the harness by the mid-'90s, cutting a solid set for Verve in 1994, I'm a Jockey, that spotlighted his blues-soul synthesis most effectively. Every Road Ends, recorded in France and released on Ruf, followed in 1999. A collaboration with his brother Syl appeared in the summer of 2002, the cleverly titled Two Johnsons Are Better Than One. Brothers Live, recorded by Jimmy Johnson and the Chicago Dave Blues Band featuring saxophonist Sam Burckhardt at Switzerland’s Basel Blues Festival in 2002, arrived in 2004. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

Delmark Presents :It Ain't Over - 55 Years Of Blues

I opened the mail yesterday and found a real treat. I received a copy of the recording, It Ain't Over celebrating Delmark's 55 years in business live at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago. I have been in this club many many times and this would have had to be the blast of all blasts. The opening track finds powerhouse singer Zora Young doing some power funk with a backing band featuring Lurie Bell and Scott Cable on guitars, Roosevelt Purifoy on keys, Bob Stronger on bass and Kenny Smith on drums. Young's Till The Fat Lady Sings is a great opener for this show. Bell throws down some great blues riffs on the funk playing his 335 and as Purifoy starts to rap out the funk on the keys Young starts to channel the godfather of soul with some squeals that would make JB proud. The rhythm section on this band is remarkably tight and Cable gets in some hot riffs on his Strat. I notice three amps on stage throughout the night which appear to be a Brownface Vibroverb, a Pro Tweed and a Blackface Twin.
Next up is Jimmy Johnson who does two great songs; Cold Cold Feeling and You Don't Know What Love Is. Johnson's vocals are very strong and deliberate and grab you good. He also manages to squeeze some terrific blues solos out of what I have found to be in general a sterile guitar. It's like they say, Jeff Beck can play a toy guitar and it will still sound like Jeff beck. Well. this isn't a toy and Johnson knows how to play it really well. Johnson is backed by Dave Specter on guitar, Brother John Kattke on keys, Harlan Terson on bass and Marty Binder on drums. Kattke gets the opportunity to show his stuff on You Don't Know and Spector takes a cool second guitar solo on his Epi 335 with the mini pickups.
Aaron Moore takes the stage for two vocal/ piano numbers with Kenny Smith on drums. It's all about style and Moore delivers the goods on Wading In Deep Water and Why You So Mean To Me.
Little Arthur Duncan leads the next set of Pretty Girls Everywhere and I Got To Go of course featuring Duncan, ever the showman, on harp and vocals, Rick Kreher on Strat, Nick Moss on a JazzMaster, Bob Stronger on bass (Fender Jazz) and Kenny Smith on drums. I hadn't mentioned it earlier but Stronger is right in the pocket and always tight. Moss takes short crisp solos on each track.
Lurrie Bell is up next with Don't You Lie To Me and Reconsider Baby. Bell is joined by Purifoy, Stronger and Smith. He plays both pickups most of the time and seems to opt for more of a twangy single coil tone that really suits his playing style. (The more I watch this video the more I am impressed by Stronger's incredibly tight playing). Bell really digs in on Don't You Lie To Me and lays down a very cool shuffle solo. On Reconsider Baby Bells vocals are impressive and he has fattened up his tone somehow and really takes the 335 down. Some extremely impressive playing by Bell in choice not only of riffs and style but neck position for effect and dynamics.
Bell's crew stays on stage and they bring up Shirley Johnson to sing a terrific version of As The Years Go Passing By. Johnson has a great deep rich voice and Bell keeps stinging the tune with impeccable taste. Bell gets another chance to shine and he steps up. He is relentless on the 335 and squeezes every drop of blues out of it!
Eddie Shaw replaces Johnson with Bell and crew and rips onto the stage playing a great tenor sax into to For You My Love. He leads the band in vocals and Purifoy's presence is more prominent. Shaw blows some major league riffs and the place is hoppin. The Sun Is Shining, a great loping blues tune gives the band a great opportunity to stretch a little first with Shaw on tenor, then with Purifoy on keys and bell on guitar. This turns into a cool boogie jam.
Last up is Tail Dragger with the addition of Big D. on Harp, Kevin Shanihan on Strat for Tend To Your Business. Big D. takes a great swat on harp and the band lays back and lets TD have the floor. Bell takes a particularly articulate stretch on this track and Shanahan gets in a quick tasty shot of the blues. For the final track Tail Dragger does a great version of My Woman Is Gone. His vocals are impressive and the band is tight. Billy Branch joins on harp and blows out some terrific riffs.
This is a great show commemorating the 55th year of Delmark and the declaration of Delmark Records Day (March 7, 2008) in Chicago by Mayor Richard M. Dailey and the hard work done by founder Bob Koester of such a meaningful blues milestone.
Special features including a pretty insightful discussion of the history of Delmark, it's development and the blues. It's a great listen.
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Meet the New Members of the Nick Moss Band (shown with Jimmy Johnson)

Here's your chance to 'meet' the members of Nick Moss' versitile new band, as seen on the January 2012 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise and fine venues across the country. (Look for them at festivals and many other dates in the U.S. and overseas this coming summer!) NICK MOSS / Guitar, vocals, harmonica Nick Moss has been in the business for well over 20 years now, first touring with Blues legends like Jimmy Dawkins, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, and Jimmy Rogers, among many others. He started out playing bass, but while in The Legendary Blues Band with Smith, switched over to guitar, opening him up to the spot in Rogers' band, where he stayed for almost four years. In 1998 he formed his own band and released his first 'solo' CD, First Offense. He's been on the road and recording ever since. After nine critically-acclaimed CDs, 15 Blues Music Award nominations, three Blues Blast Award wins, and a Second Place win in the Blues Category of the 2011 International Songwriting Competition (for "Georgia Redsnake," off of Privileged), Nick is still discovering where his music will take him. Nick Moss photo: McKinley Photography. Moss' latest release is bursting with personal growth and the kind of honesty fans have come to expect from him. Here I Am is the confident statement from Moss that the new path he forged on Privileged (2010, Nominated for 2011 Blues Music Award for "Best Rock Blues Album") was just the beginning. He gives guitar lovers plenty to sink their teeth into with extended songs and solos but there's more to Here I Am than just great lead playing. Moss and his band again use a foundation of blues, rock, and roots as starting points, but take new and unexpected turns on the all-original program. (Here I Am debuted at #2 on the Relix/Jamband Radio Chart! and #6 on the Living Blues Radio Chart! It also spent several weeks in the Top Ten on the Roots Music Report!) • • • • • • • T H E B A N D • • • • • • • MICHAEL LEDBETTER / Guitar, vocals, percussion A native of Chicago, IL, Michael Ledbetter came up with a rich selection of classic soul, R&B, and Blues on rotation in his home. Singers like Donny Hathaway, B.B. King, and Stevie Wonder set the foundation for his soulful vocal style at a very early age. At 15, he decided to take his voice to a new realm: Opera. He went on to enjoy a strong 8-year career in the Chicago Opera community. Following his exit from classical music, Michael realized that his heart truly lied in his roots, and he dove head-first into the Chicago Blues scene. It was the chance discovery of Ledbetter's voice by Kate Moss while sitting in with Blue Bella Records recording artists The Kilborn Alley Blues Band that lead to his tutelage under Nick and Joe Moss in what Ledbetter calls "REAL Chicago Blues 101." Michael was asked to join Nick Moss' cast of young up-and-comers in May 2011. In his short time with Nick, he has had the pleasure of singing for and backing some of the best in Blues music. Michael looks forward to a very bright future and gives many thanks to his family as well as the Moss family for their love and support. Michael Ledbetter photo: Kate Moss. TRAVIS REED / Piano, organ, vocals By the age of 15, Travis H.A. Reed was performing regularly in the children's choir in Syracuse, NY (where he moved to from Chicago when he was only 2). By 18, after being groomed into the advanced pace of the adult mass choir, Reed had come to be the main church organist. In 2010, Travis heard from his friend Byron Cage (now drummer for the Tommy Castro Band), who also was a regular on the Syracuse Gospel scene, that Nick Moss was looking for an organist to accompany the piano player in the band (who at that time was "Piano Willie" Owsianny). In February of that year, Reed traveled to Chicago, sat in with Nick and the band at a local gig, and the rest, as they say, is history. Travis has been with them ever since. He's toured the world, built a diverse vocabulary of chops, and is now an integral part of Moss' new, expanded sound of blues, blues-rock, and beyond. Reed now handles piano and organ duties, showcasing his versatility and incredible musicianship nightly. Travis Reed photo: McKinley Photography. MATTHEW WILSON / bass Born into a family of musicians, Matthew Wilson had learned to play his first drum beat by age 5. Five years later he received the family heirloom bass and started down the road of musical exploration. His father and uncle, both having backed up just about every blues musician passing through Chicago since the late '70s, placed the young musician in the situations that would demand his abilities from the very beginning. Learning from local luminaries like Stokes, Lee Gates, Madison Slim, Jim Liban and Billy Flynn, a strong foundation in the blues was laid. At 24, Matthew has played with and learned from the likes of Marc Ribot, John Medeski, Guitar Shorty, Curtis Salgado, Jimmy & Syl Johnson, Charlie Musselwhite, Clyde Stubblefield and Hubert Sumlin. Matthew joined with Nick Moss and his band in mid-2011 to round-out an already dynamic and powerful lineup of young musicians. Wilson photo: Chris Monaghan. PATRICK SEALS / Drums, percussion Chicago-area drummer Patrick Seals discovered his love of drums at an early age while still in middle school. By high school Patrick was playing in many local bands of varying styles. At 18 he was accepted into the prestigious Columbia College music program and recieved his degree in Jazz upon graduation. Shortly after leaving Columbia, Patrick found himself a place in the thriving Chicago blues community, playing regular gigs with local bands, and even securing a short stint with international blues recording & touring artist, Byther Smith. Based on his versatile skills, Patrick was recruited in 2010 to fill the drum chair in Nick Moss' new band. So far, in his short tenure in the band, Seals has gained the respect of many of his drumming colleagues in the blues community. Most notably, Tony Braunagle (Robert Cray Band, Phantom Blues Band), who asked Patrick to participate in his drum clinic on the 2012 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. Patrick Seals photo: McKinley Photography.

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As The Years Go Passing By - Jimmy Johnson

Several of Johnson's brothers had careers in music; among them are soul musician Syl Johnson and Magic Sam bassist Mack Thompson. In his younger years he played piano and sang in gospel groups. He and his family moved to Chicago in 1950, where he worked as a welder and played guitar in his spare time. He began playing professionally with Slim Willis in 1959, changing his last name to Johnson like his brother Syl. As a guitarist he was influenced by both Buddy Guy and Otis Rush and he played with Freddy King, Albert King, Magic Sam and Eddy Clearwater among others.
Jimmy Johnson (born James Earl Thompson, November 25, 1928, Holly Springs, Mississippi, United States) is an American blues guitarist and singer.
In the 1960s he played more R&B music, working with Otis Clay, Denise LaSalle, and Garland Green. He also had his own group from the early 1960s, and by the late 1960s he had released his first single. By 1974 he had returned to blues playing, working with Jimmy Dawkins and touring Japan with Otis Rush in 1975.

His first solo material appeared on Alligator Records and Delmark Records in 1978-79, when he was fifty years old. He was an award-winner at the first Blues Music Awards held in Memphis in November 1980. His career continued to pick up until December 2, 1988, when his touring van crashed in Indiana, killing his keyboardist St. James Bryant and bassist Larry Exum. Johnson was injured and took an extended hiatus from the music industry, but returned to record for Verve Records in 1994. In 2002, he recorded with his brother, Syl. He remained active and among other things toured Europe in 2009, playing both the UK as well as Copenhagen Blues Festival in Denmark.
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As the Years Go Passing By - Jimmy Johnson Blues Band

Jimmy Johnson (born James Earl Thompson, November 25, 1928, Holly Springs, Mississippi) is an American blues guitarist and singer.
Several of Johnson's brothers had careers in music; among them are soul musician Syl Johnson and Magic Sam bassist Mack Thompson. In his younger years he played piano and sang in gospel groups. He and his family moved to Chicago in 1950, where he worked as a welder and played guitar in his spare time. He began playing professionally with Slim Willis in 1959, changing his last name to Johnson like his brother Syl. As a guitarist he was influenced by both Buddy Guy and Otis Rush and he played with Freddy King, Albert King, Magic Sam and Eddy Clearwater among others.

In the 1960s he played more R&B music, working with Otis Clay, Denise LaSalle, and Garland Green. He also had his own group from the early sixties, and by the late sixties he had released his first single. By 1974 he had returned to blues playing, working with Jimmy Dawkins and touring Japan with Otis Rush in 1975.

His first solo material appeared on Alligator Records and Delmark Records in 1978-79, when he was fifty years old. He was an award-winner at the first W.C. Handy Blues Music Awards held in Memphis November 16. 1980. His career continued to pick up until December 2, 1988, when his touring van crashed in Indiana, killing his keyboardist St. James Bryant and bassist Larry Exum. Johnson was injured and took an extended hiatus from the music industry, but returned to record for Verve Records in 1994. In 2002 he recorded with his brother, Syl. He remained active and among other things toured Europe in 2009, playing both England as well as Copenhagen Blues festival in Denmark.

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AS THE YEARS GO PASSING BY- JIMMY JOHNSON BLUES BAND

Jimmy Johnson (born James Earl Thompson, November 25, 1928, Holly Springs, Mississippi) is an American blues guitarist and singer.
[edit] Biography

Several of Johnson's brothers had careers in music; among them are soul musician Syl Johnson and Magic Sam bassist Mack Thompson. He and his family moved to Chicago in 1950, where he worked as a welder and played guitar in his spare time. He began playing professionally with Slim Willis in 1959, changing his last name to Johnson like his brother Syl.

In the 1960s he played more R&B music, working with Otis Clay, Denise LaSalle, and Garland Green. By 1974 he had returned to blues playing, working with Jimmy Dawkins and touring Japan with Otis Rush in 1975.

His first solo material appeared on Alligator Records and Delmark Records in 1978-79, when he was fifty years old. His career continued to pick up until December 2, 1988, when his touring van crashed in Indiana, killing his keyboardist St. James Bryant and bassist Larry Exum. Johnson was injured and took an extended hiatus from the music industry, but returned to record for Verve Records in 1994. In 2002 he recorded with his brother, Syl.
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