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Showing posts with label Neoprene Fedora. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Neoprene Fedora. Show all posts
Friday, July 7, 2017
Rockin' Johnny Burgin July and August Shows
Friday, March 24, 2017
West Tone Records artist: Rockin' Johnny Burgin - Neoprene Fedora - New Release review
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Neoprene Fedora, from Rockin' Johnny Burgin and it's spectacular! I've had the pleasure to review a few Rockin' Johnny releases and also to see him in person and I gotta say, there aren't too many players out there right now that I'd rather see. (Check here to see my recent interview with RJB). He is inventive, his guitar work is clean and distinctive, his vocals are cool and he's music is a lot of fun.
Opening with the title track, Neoprene Fedora, Burgin hits the strip running with a 50's style blues surfer with great great vibrato, and cool phrasing. The Latin beat and the shimmery guitar soloing is out of sight and Nancy Wright's sax work is hot and heavy. Excellent! Joining Burgin are Kid Andersen on guitar, Bob Welsh on guitar, June Core on drums and Chris Matheos on bass. On Guitar King Burgin swings back into his Chicago roots and I really like his vocals. Aki Kumar is back on harp and we know what he can do. Burgin's guitar soloing sets the groove and together with Kumar on harp and Stephen Dougherty on drums...this track hits hard. On Won't Get Married Again, Burgin blends a Bloomfield like vocal delivery with an off beat gait. Playing harp himself and with an odd scatter guitar style, this is a track to hear. Unusually cool. With a slower lope, Give Me An Hour In Your Garden, Burgin delivers solid, expressive vocals with Albert King like sting on guitar. Vance Ehkers bass work on this track helps to set off Burgin's masterful guitar riffs giving this track a memorable sting. Steve Willis opens Kinda Wild Woman, a R&B track, with accordion flair and Billy Wilson's rubbing board work adds to the natural texture. On Please Tell Me, Burgin's vocals are solid and his slide playing very slick but catch Wright blowing the roof off on this one (on sax). With real Cajun feel, Burgin and Willis create the environment and Welsh adds a nice piano riff giving the track even more texture. Another cool blues swinger, (Let Me Be) Your Teddy Bear has a cool BB King like feel with Rockin' Johnny at his most relaxed, just letting it flow over Ehler's bass line. Very nice. Ultra funky blues track, Smoke and Mirrors even has wah wah pedal. I mean...it's funky. Get ready to dance. Burgin steps into new territory on this one and he's channeling Buddy Guy. With Alabama Mike on backing vocals and Kumar on harp, this track is FUNKY! Alabama Mike takes the mic on I Did the Best I Could and Burgin digs in on guitar with Albert King like attack. This guy can really do it all and continues to show that with every note... I mean this guy has feel...excellent! Another Chicago style blues, Self Made Man, features Kumar on lead vocal and Burgin sits back and just stings the strings. You don't have to listen hard to hear this guy. He sticks it in your ear for you. Buddy Guy has to smile listening to this guy! On shuffle track, You Gotta Work Fast, Burgin is back up front on vocal. With a great walking bass line from Ehlers and Kumar on harp, Burgin steps high with powerful, solid riffs, which seems to pull his vocals even more into the groove. I Ain't Gonna Be A Working Man No More has super Morganfield feel and Burgin reinforces this on guitar (think Rollin' and Tumblin') and playing is straight and simple, this track just moves. Another funky track, My Life's Enough For Me, has a great bass line compliments of Ehler's and nasty, nasty guitar lead. Burgin's vocals really emphasize his work and I'm glad he continues to develop his own voice. Check how he absolutely slays the guitar solo on this one. Ouch...man that's great! Wrapping the release is slow, Willie Dixon like track, Goodbye Chicago with excellent John Lee Hooker like vocal phrasing and Howlin' Wolf like aesthetic by Burgin. Nancy Wright is so excellent every time I hear her and her playing on this track is no exception. The choice to feature her on this release was brilliant. Burgin pays tribute to all the blues kings as he loosely riffs on guitar with Kumar on harp. This is really is the path of the contemporary blues. I hope that the young players are listening. This is it! Truly amazing release!
Opening with the title track, Neoprene Fedora, Burgin hits the strip running with a 50's style blues surfer with great great vibrato, and cool phrasing. The Latin beat and the shimmery guitar soloing is out of sight and Nancy Wright's sax work is hot and heavy. Excellent! Joining Burgin are Kid Andersen on guitar, Bob Welsh on guitar, June Core on drums and Chris Matheos on bass. On Guitar King Burgin swings back into his Chicago roots and I really like his vocals. Aki Kumar is back on harp and we know what he can do. Burgin's guitar soloing sets the groove and together with Kumar on harp and Stephen Dougherty on drums...this track hits hard. On Won't Get Married Again, Burgin blends a Bloomfield like vocal delivery with an off beat gait. Playing harp himself and with an odd scatter guitar style, this is a track to hear. Unusually cool. With a slower lope, Give Me An Hour In Your Garden, Burgin delivers solid, expressive vocals with Albert King like sting on guitar. Vance Ehkers bass work on this track helps to set off Burgin's masterful guitar riffs giving this track a memorable sting. Steve Willis opens Kinda Wild Woman, a R&B track, with accordion flair and Billy Wilson's rubbing board work adds to the natural texture. On Please Tell Me, Burgin's vocals are solid and his slide playing very slick but catch Wright blowing the roof off on this one (on sax). With real Cajun feel, Burgin and Willis create the environment and Welsh adds a nice piano riff giving the track even more texture. Another cool blues swinger, (Let Me Be) Your Teddy Bear has a cool BB King like feel with Rockin' Johnny at his most relaxed, just letting it flow over Ehler's bass line. Very nice. Ultra funky blues track, Smoke and Mirrors even has wah wah pedal. I mean...it's funky. Get ready to dance. Burgin steps into new territory on this one and he's channeling Buddy Guy. With Alabama Mike on backing vocals and Kumar on harp, this track is FUNKY! Alabama Mike takes the mic on I Did the Best I Could and Burgin digs in on guitar with Albert King like attack. This guy can really do it all and continues to show that with every note... I mean this guy has feel...excellent! Another Chicago style blues, Self Made Man, features Kumar on lead vocal and Burgin sits back and just stings the strings. You don't have to listen hard to hear this guy. He sticks it in your ear for you. Buddy Guy has to smile listening to this guy! On shuffle track, You Gotta Work Fast, Burgin is back up front on vocal. With a great walking bass line from Ehlers and Kumar on harp, Burgin steps high with powerful, solid riffs, which seems to pull his vocals even more into the groove. I Ain't Gonna Be A Working Man No More has super Morganfield feel and Burgin reinforces this on guitar (think Rollin' and Tumblin') and playing is straight and simple, this track just moves. Another funky track, My Life's Enough For Me, has a great bass line compliments of Ehler's and nasty, nasty guitar lead. Burgin's vocals really emphasize his work and I'm glad he continues to develop his own voice. Check how he absolutely slays the guitar solo on this one. Ouch...man that's great! Wrapping the release is slow, Willie Dixon like track, Goodbye Chicago with excellent John Lee Hooker like vocal phrasing and Howlin' Wolf like aesthetic by Burgin. Nancy Wright is so excellent every time I hear her and her playing on this track is no exception. The choice to feature her on this release was brilliant. Burgin pays tribute to all the blues kings as he loosely riffs on guitar with Kumar on harp. This is really is the path of the contemporary blues. I hope that the young players are listening. This is it! Truly amazing release!
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 favorites band! - ”LIKE”
For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE"
“Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Neoprene Fedora New CD release and tour!
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Sunday, February 12, 2017
Interview with the dynamic Rockin’ Johnny Burgin
Bman: Hi Johnny, Haven’t
seen you in a while. I'm really sorry that I missed your show in Phoenix. I was in Europe and just got back. One show I really wanted to see. How did it go?Bman: Wow. That must have been a great show! Damn. I really wanted to see you. Are you coming back again this year?
RJB: I hope to be back in October.
Bman: Great! I should be good then. I don't think I have anything planned for October. Last I heard you were in Europe with Aki Kumar . I love Europe. How did
the tour go? Where were you?
RJB: I left for Europe on Halloween, and got back at Christmas. The first two weeks of the tour were with Aki Kumar and our West Coast Meets Chicago project. We hit Sweden (w/ Trickbag ), the Netherlands, and the Bay Car Blues Festival in France and some FR club dates. Then Aki went home, and I went to Finland, Italy and Spain.
Bman: So you’ve been back on US soil for a while. What have you been up to?
Still touring or in the studio?
RJB: In January, I was in the Bay area the whole time. I played New Year's Eve with Nick Gravenites and long time Elvin Bishop drummer Gary Silva on drums. That was fun. In January, I cut material for a new Rockin Johnny Burgin CD, Neoprene Fedora .
It'll be out by March 15. I had Nancy Wright on it, Vance Ehlers, June Core (the rhythm section on Greaseland), not to mention 3 zydeco songs I wrote with Billy Williams on rub board and Steve Willis (plays w Elvin) on accordion. Kid Andersen and Bob Welsh played guitars and pianos, and Aki was on it as well. He did two songs on vocal, and Alabama Mike did two songs I wrote. Out of 16 tunes, I did three covers, a Johnny Littlejohn song, an LV Banks song, and a Little Joe Blue Song. And Aki did a song by Willie Williams, which makes 12 originals-- that's a record.
It'll be out by March 15. I had Nancy Wright on it, Vance Ehlers, June Core (the rhythm section on Greaseland), not to mention 3 zydeco songs I wrote with Billy Williams on rub board and Steve Willis (plays w Elvin) on accordion. Kid Andersen and Bob Welsh played guitars and pianos, and Aki was on it as well. He did two songs on vocal, and Alabama Mike did two songs I wrote. Out of 16 tunes, I did three covers, a Johnny Littlejohn song, an LV Banks song, and a Little Joe Blue Song. And Aki did a song by Willie Williams, which makes 12 originals-- that's a record.
Bman: Outstanding! I love the stuff that comes out of Greaseland and that lineup is top notch. I'm looking forward to see what you came up with. I also heard that you caught up with Quique Gomez in Spain. Outstanding! I'm really looking forward to hearing it.
RJB: Quique is a good friend, I've worked with him in Spain and America many, many times. When Aki went home I caught up with him. I cut a cd's worth of stuff with Quique in Toledo. It'll come out in the summer. I'm glad we finally did a cd together.
Bman: Weren’t you also in
session with Mike Mettalia?
RJB: Yes, I've known Mike since the Smoke Daddy days in the 90s. He wanted to do some sessions with Little Jerry Jones, Mary Lane, and Milwaukee Slim (and me!) so I acted as a liaison. We've done some nice shows together over the years. He's really keeping the blues alive in my book!
Bman: I really need to check that out! What else have you
got cooking as if that isn’t enough?
RJB: Right now I'm doing a three month tour that started in San Jose, then went to Phoenix, Alburquerque, Dallas, it's going to Houston, Clarksdale, Springfield, Chicago, Minneapolis, Toronto, France, Russia, then flying back to Chicago and driving back to SF doing gigs in NE and Utah. Doing a session with Jeremy Johnson in Minneapolis in March, he's a great engineer (he did RJ Mischo's latest cd) drummer and guitarist. I've always wanted to record with him.
Also doing a session on this trip with Sugar Brown (Ken Kawashima) in Toronto. We're old college buddies and started out together with Taildragger. He's a great player and songwriter.
Also doing a session on this trip with Sugar Brown (Ken Kawashima) in Toronto. We're old college buddies and started out together with Taildragger. He's a great player and songwriter.
RJB: I am doing a tour in Sweden in May with Aki and Trickbag. I'm doing the 10th anniversary Blues Fest after party at Reggie's with special guests TBA in Chicago in June. Also I'm playing the Bluesfest with Mary Lane. Playing King Biscuit with Taildragger in October and I'll be touring a lot to promote Neoprene Fedora , as well and my release wtih Quique when it comes out.
Bman: Man. You are a busy guy. Thanks for taking the time to talk with me. Now I got to get some CD's and sit back and enjoy!
RJB: Thanks a lot Bman
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 favorites band! - ”LIKE”
For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE"
“Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE
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