Johnnie Johnson & The Kentucky Headhunters - That'll Work

Album: That'll Work
Size: 113,9 MB
Time: 49:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1993
Styles: Blues, piano blues
Art: Full

1. That'll Work (4:03)
2. Sunday Blues (4:45)
3. Johnnie's Breakdown (2:06)
4. I'm Not Runnin' (6:00)
5. Bummed About Love (2:17)
6. Stumblin' (3:26)
7. Back To Memphis (5:14)
8. The Feel (3:18)
9. I Know You Can (5:19)
10. She's Got To Have It (4:10)
11. Derby Day Special (3:07)
12. Tell Me Baby (5:17)

That'll Work is a collaborative album by Chuck Berry's pianist Johnnie Johnson together with The Kentucky Headhunters. It was released 1993, and it comprised twelve songs which Johnson and the band wrote over the course of four days. The album featured Johnson on piano, as well as lead vocals on the title track and one other song. Jimmy Hall of Wet Willie also played harmonica and saxophone and sang backing vocals. /Wikipedia

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Johnnie Johnson - I'm Just Johnnie

Album: I'm Just Johnnie
Size: 206,8 MB
Time: 89:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2025
Styles: Blues, piano blues
Art: Front, back

1. I'm Just Johnnie (3:29)
2. I Get Weary (5:40)
3. Every Day I Have The Blues (Feat. Bruce Hornsby) (5:21)
4. Lo Down (Feat. Johnny Rivers) (3:11)
5. Let The Good Times Roll (5:00)
6. Three Handed Woman (4:54)
7. Broke The Bank (Feat. John Sebastian) (4:59)
8. Blues In G (4:30)
9. Stagger Lee (3:44)
10. Johnnie Johnson Blues (Feat. Johnny Rivers) (5:24)
11. Heebie Jeebies (3:26)
12. Long Gone (3:36)
13. Johnnie And Pat In The Studio (Interview) (23:51)
14. Johnnie, Bonnie, Gene, And Pat (Interview) (12:35)

Step into the soul of rock & roll with “I’m Just Johnnie” - a wonderful collection of tracks from Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Johnnie Johnson. This album captures everything we love about Johnnie: the foot-stomping energy of “Let the Good Times Roll,” the storytelling swing of “Three Handed Woman,” and the piano magic of “Blues in G.”

From the heartfelt groove of “Stagger Lee” to the autobiographical charm of the title track, this album is a front-row seat to one of the elder statesmen of the blues and founding fathers of rock and roll. Includes special studio interviews with Pat St. John, Bonnie Raitt, Gene Ackmann, and Johnnie himself - a rare and intimate look behind the music.

Johnnie Johnson was more than a legendary pianist - he was the rhythmic soul behind the birth of rock & roll. Best known for his groundbreaking work with Chuck Berry, Johnnie helped craft classics like “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” and the iconic “Johnny B. Goode.” A Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, he also played alongside Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, The Kentucky Headhunters, Bob Weir, Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy, and many more.

But beyond the spotlight, Johnnie was a humble, joyful spirit who loved fishing, Cardinals baseball, and spending time with friends and family. His unmistakable boogie-woogie groove, warm smile, and deep St. Louis roots left an unforgettable mark on every stage he played. Whether behind a piano or casting a line at a quiet lake, Johnnie lived with heart. His music and legacy continue to inspire generations.

Personnel: Johnnie Johnson (piano, vocals); Max Baker (guitar); Dickie Steltenpohl (bass); Paul Willett (Hammond B3 organ); Pat Liston (backing vocals); Henry Lawrence (vocals); Kenny Rice (drums); Gus Thornton (bass, vocals).

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Johnnie Johnson - Johnnie B. Live

Album: Johnnie B. Live
Size: 139,0 MB
Time: 60:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Blues, piano blues
Art: Full

1. Real Good Woman (7:00)
2. If You Love Me Like You Say (5:09)
3. Johnnie's Boogie (5:23)
4. Georgia On My Mind (8:06)
5. Tanqueray (6:18)
6. I'm Goin' Fishin' (5:23)
7. Sweet Little Angel (7:04)
8. Stepped In What!? (5:42)
9. Bye Bye Johnny/Carol (5:45)
10. George's Jam (4:05)
11. Guest Comment (0:19)

For 28 years legendary piano player Johnnie Johnson worked as a sideman to one of rock & roll's most prominent performers, Chuck Berry. Berry joined Johnson's band, the Sir John Trio, on New Year's Eve 1953, and afterward Berry took over as the group's songwriter and frontman/guitar player. On the strength of a recommendation from Muddy Waters and an audition, Berry got a deal with Chess Records. Johnson's rhythmic piano playing was a key element in all of Berry's hit singles, a good number of which Johnson arranged. Although Berry has been reluctant to admit as much, Johnson is widely regarded to be the inspiration for one of Berry's biggest hits, "Johnny B. Goode." The pair's successful partnership lasted a lot longer than most rock & roll partnerships last these days.

Johnson was born July 8, 1924, in Fairmont, WV, and he began playing piano at age five, thanks to his mother, who provided the funds to purchase one and encouraged the young Johnson's interest. His parents had a good collection of 78-rpm records, including items by Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters. In his teens, he listened to the radio broadcasts of big bands, and taught himself based on what he heard from the likes of Art Tatum, Earl "Fatha" Hines, and Meade "Lux" Lewis. Johnson's goal in all of this listening and playing in his teenage years was to come up with his own distinctive style. His own somewhat ailing career got a shot in the arm with the Chuck Berry concert film Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll, and by his involvement in Keith Richards' solo release with Richards' band, the X-Pensive Winos. He would go on to play and record with, among others, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, George Thorogood, and Aerosmith.

Despite his fear of flying, the revitalized Johnson also managed to tour the world. In 2001 Johnson was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Despite health complications, the ailing pianist continued to perform. In November 2004, recording began on what was to become his final project. On April 13th of 2005, at the age of 80, Johnnie Johnson passed away, just hours before his copies of Johnnie Be Eighty. And Still Bad! were delivered to his home. In a 1995 interview, Johnson explained his abilities on piano as his mother did: a gift from God. "I can hear something and keep it in my mind until such point as I can get to a piano, and then I'll play it...that is a gift, the ability to do that."

Johnson's albums under his own name include Blue Hand Johnnie for the St. Louis-based Pulsar label in 1988; Johnnie B. Bad in 1991 for the Elektra American Explorer label; That'll Work in 1993 for the same label; Johnnie Be Back for the New Jersey-based MusicMasters label in 1995; and Johnson's final recording, Johnnie Be Eighty. And Still Bad! for the Cousin Moe Music label in 2005. This project contains the biographical songs "Beach Weather" and "Lucky Four," a heartfelt song about Johnson's fourth wife, Frances. /Biography by Richard Skelly, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Johnnie Johnson - Blue Hand Johnnie

Album: Blue Hand Johnnie
Size: 106,2 MB
Time: 45:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1993
Styles: Blues, piano blues
Art: Full

1. Johnnie's Boogie (2:35)
2. See See Rider (4:54)
3. O.J. Blues (4:09)
4. Black Nights (3:55)
5. Talkin' Woman (3:35)
6. Honky Tonk Part 1 (3:54)
7. Slow Train (3:30)
8. Baby What You Want Me To Do (4:08)
9. Way South (5:02)
10. Johnnie B. Goode (2:31)
11. Back In The U.S.A. (3:04)
12. Son's Dream (4:33)

For 28 years legendary piano player Johnnie Johnson worked as a sideman to one of rock & roll's most prominent performers, Chuck Berry. Berry joined Johnson's band, the Sir John Trio, on New Year's Eve 1953, and afterward Berry took over as the group's songwriter and frontman/guitar player. On the strength of a recommendation from Muddy Waters and an audition, Berry got a deal with Chess Records. Johnson's rhythmic piano playing was a key element in all of Berry's hit singles, a good number of which Johnson arranged. Although Berry has been reluctant to admit as much, Johnson is widely regarded to be the inspiration for one of Berry's biggest hits, "Johnny B. Goode." The pair's successful partnership lasted a lot longer than most rock & roll partnerships last these days.

Johnson was born July 8, 1924, in Fairmont, WV, and he began playing piano at age five, thanks to his mother, who provided the funds to purchase one and encouraged the young Johnson's interest. His parents had a good collection of 78-rpm records, including items by Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters. In his teens, he listened to the radio broadcasts of big bands, and taught himself based on what he heard from the likes of Art Tatum, Earl "Fatha" Hines, and Meade "Lux" Lewis. Johnson's goal in all of this listening and playing in his teenage years was to come up with his own distinctive style. His own somewhat ailing career got a shot in the arm with the Chuck Berry concert film Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll, and by his involvement in Keith Richards' solo release with Richards' band, the X-Pensive Winos. He would go on to play and record with, among others, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, George Thorogood, and Aerosmith.

Despite his fear of flying, the revitalized Johnson also managed to tour the world. In 2001 Johnson was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Despite health complications, the ailing pianist continued to perform. In November 2004, recording began on what was to become his final project. On April 13th of 2005, at the age of 80, Johnnie Johnson passed away, just hours before his copies of Johnnie Be Eighty. And Still Bad! were delivered to his home. In a 1995 interview, Johnson explained his abilities on piano as his mother did: a gift from God. "I can hear something and keep it in my mind until such point as I can get to a piano, and then I'll play it...that is a gift, the ability to do that."

Johnson's albums under his own name include Blue Hand Johnnie for the St. Louis-based Pulsar label in 1988; Johnnie B. Bad in 1991 for the Elektra American Explorer label; That'll Work in 1993 for the same label; Johnnie Be Back for the New Jersey-based MusicMasters label in 1995; and Johnson's final recording, Johnnie Be Eighty. And Still Bad! for the Cousin Moe Music label in 2005. This project contains the biographical songs "Beach Weather" and "Lucky Four," a heartfelt song about Johnson's fourth wife, Frances. /Biography by Richard Skelly, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Johnnie Johnson, Clayton Love, Jimmy Vaughn - Rockin' Eighty-Eights

Size: 116.5 MB
Time: 49:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1991
Styles: Electric Blues, Rock & Roll
Art: Full

01. Frances (4:12)
02. Goin' Home (2:54)
03. New Big-Legged Woman (4:02)
04. Bluebird (5:06)
05. Ida's Song (4:16)
06. Goin' Down Slow (4:33)
07. Hey! Come 'Ere (2:22)
08. Slidin' Serenade (5:59)
09. Don't You Lie To Me (3:09)
10. After Hours (4:11)
11. Ripple Wine Dream (5:03)
12. The Big Question (3:41)

Johnnie Johnson, Clayton Love and Jimmy Vaughn pack 100 years of red-hot rock 'n' roll history on Rockin' Eighty-Eights, a jumping piano-music anthology from Modern Blues Recordings.

Rockin' Eighty-Eights is the label's first new-recordings release, following three issues of classic post-war blues by Freddy King and Albert King.

The album is an exuberant celebration of rock 'n' roll's piano-musicorigins by three keyboard giants -- including Johnnie Johnson, whose powerhouse playing fueled the young Chuck Berry's music and sparked Berry's greatest hits.

Johnson, Love and Vaughn head up an all-star cast on a dozen vital, digitally-recorded vocal and instrumental selections featuring the Johnnie Johnson Band and special guest artists. Outstanding performances of new compositions and traditional gems showcase a range of boogie-woogie, blues and R&B piano styles.

The album's three piano masters were all active in the 1950s St. Louis R&B scene that was to have national influence on the sound of rock 'n' roll and "modern" city blues. All three have worked with Little Milton and Albert King. Johnson and Vaughn play on a number of the seminal Albert King recordings reissued on Let's Have A Natural Ball.

Clayton Love's feelingful singing and fluid piano work have been honed over a career that includes releases on the Trumpet, Groove, Aladdin and Federal labels.

Jimmy Vaughn (1925-1991) made his mark as a pianist, arranger, composer and vocalist in performances and recordings spanning almost half a century of blues, jazz and R&B. His selections on Rockin' Eighty-Eights are his final legacy.

Rockin' Eighty-Eights MP3
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The Kentucky Headhunters w. Johnnie Johnson - Meet Me In Bluesland

Year: 2015
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:34
Size: 101,1 MB
Styles: Electric blues, rock & roll
Scans: Full

1. Stumblin' (3:08)
2. Walking With The Wolf (3:28)
3. Little Queenie (3:31)
4. She's Got To Have It (3:18)
5. Party In Heaven (3:28)
6. Meet Me In Bluesland (5:44)
7. King Rooster (4:31)
8. Shufflin' Back To Memphis (4:50)
9. Fast Train (3:34)
10. Sometime (3:55)
11. Superman Blues (4:02)

Grammy Award and Country Music Award-winning Southern rockers The Kentucky Headhunters have accounted for nearly two million scans in a career that goes back to 1989. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Johnnie Johnson was one of the greatest rock 'n' roll piano players of all time, famed for his long association and many hits with Chuck Berry. As a solo artist, Johnson released three studio albums in the 1990s. In 1993, The Kentucky Headhunters and Johnnie Johnson released That'll Work.

In 2003, the band and Johnson went back to the studio and recorded Meet Me In Bluesland, which remained unreleased since Johnnie's death in 2005. Meet Me In Bluesland is a hip-shaking dose of blues, roadhouse R&B and old-school rock 'n' roll, with Johnnie Johnson working his legendary magic on the keys and The Kentucky Headhunters working the greasy grooves like they were born to play them. A jubilant set of glorious good-time music. /Amazon

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Kentucky Headhunters - Live At The Ramblin' Man Fair

Size: 125,3 MB
Time: 53:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Introduction (0:37)
02. Big Boss Man (3:28)
03. Ragtop (4:36)
04. Stumblin' (3:10)
05. Shufflin' Back to Memphis (4:36)
06. Have You Ever Loved A Woman? (6:26)
07. Wishin' Well (3:14)
08. Walking With The Wolf (3:27)
09. My Daddy Was A Milkman (7:36)
10. Don't Let Me Down (4:31)
11. Rock Me Baby (Feat. Johnnie Johnson) (5:01)
12. Rock 'N' Roller (Feat. Johnnie Johnson) (3:06)
13. Hi-Heel Sneakers (Feat. Johnnie Johnson) (3:20)

Live At The Ramblin' Man Fair, the new album from Grammy-winning band The Kentucky Headhunters. The band -- guitarist/vocalist Richard Young, his brother drummer Fred Young, guitarist Greg Martin and bassist/vocalist Doug Phelps --- had never before been to Europe in their 30-plus year career. This set, recorded at The Ramblin' Man Fair in Maidstone, UK, captures them at the height of their powers.

Live At The Ramblin' Man Fair finds the band blazing through a 10-song set in front of 25,000 screaming UK fans. Combining old-school blues and blistering Southern rock with country overtones, The Kentucky Headhunters cross borders and genres with ease, as the elated UK audience roars its collective approval throughout the concert. The album closes with three recently rediscovered studio tracks from the legendary Meet Me In Bluesland sessions featuring late blues piano icon Johnnie Johnson (known for his seminal piano work driving Chuck Berry’s most famous songs).

Although The Kentucky Headhunters have been recording and touring together for over 30 years (and making music together for over 50 years), they had never, until 2016, performed overseas. That year, Richard—a notoriously uneasy flier—let his son John Fred (drummer for internationally beloved hard rock group Black Stone Cherry) talk him into bringing The Kentucky Headhunters to Europe. A tour of Sweden and the United Kingdom was booked, and the band was on its way to earning a whole new audience for their raucous and rowdy music.

Since their multiple award-winning debut album in 1989, Pickin' On Nashville (Mercury), the band has released 12 more albums with total sales reaching over 11 million. Constant touring has kept the band busy and each new release has kept them in high demand. 2015’s Alligator CD, Meet Me In Bluesland (recorded in 2003 with Johnnie Johnson), brought the band to the attention of many new fans. No Depression called the album, “A raucous, rockin’ romp that’ll put a big ole grin on your face. Johnson pounds out licks like a wrecking ball.” The Wall Street Journal called it, “a collection of rollicking, loose-limbed songs rooted in the blues and vintage-style rock ‘n’ roll.”

2016’s On Safari (Plowboy Records) led to the band’s first European tour and in turn to the album Live At The Ramblin’ Man Fair, their second career live album. “Truth is,” says Richard, “we didn’t even know we were being recorded. I found out later the festival folks recorded our whole set. After hearing it, I knew it captured us exactly as we really are, and I knew we had to release it.” With the new album and another UK/European tour in the works, The Kentucky Headhunters are excited to visit their new friends and fans across the ocean, as well as hitting the highway across the U.S. and Canada.

Whether they’re turning Southern rock fans on to blues or turning blues fans on to Southern rock, The Kentucky Headhunters are simply thrilled to be enriching the lives of so many music fans for so many years. According to Richard, “When the four of us get together, it’s a powerful thing. It makes people happy. It’s really good music.”

Live At The Ramblin' Man Fair

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Johnnie Johnson - Johnnie B. Bad

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:18
Size: 101.4 MB
Styles: Piano blues, Rock n Roll
Year: 1992/2005
Art: Front

[4:52] 1. Tanqueray
[3:23] 2. Hush On Hush
[2:32] 3. Johnnie B. Bad
[5:28] 4. Creek Mud
[3:42] 5. Fault Line Tremor
[4:09] 6. Stepped In What !
[2:44] 7. Can You Stand It
[3:18] 8. Key To The Highway
[3:27] 9. Blues, No. 572
[3:35] 10. Baby What's Wrong
[3:10] 11. Cow Cow Blues
[3:52] 12. Movin' Out

Pianist Johnnie Johnson entered the rock-&-roll history books as the pianist on many of Chuck Berry's early hits (some say he's even an uncredited co-composer), but 1991's JOHNNIE B. BAD was only Johnson's second proper solo album, and his first for a major label. Accordingly, it's festooned with guest stars, including Eric Clapton and the members of NRBQ, but none of them outshines Johnson. Never abandoning his swinging, measured pace, he lays down bluesy licks and laconic vocals that mark him as both a master of the blues and a father of rock & roll. ~Jim Allen

Johnnie B. Bad

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Various - Blues: Live From Mountain Stage

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 58:35
Size: 134.1 MB
Styles: Blues-Country-Folk-R&B
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. The Nighthawks - Leave My Woman Alone
[4:24] 2. Tracy Nelson - It Hurts Me Too
[3:40] 3. Paul Geremia - Slidell Blues
[2:57] 4. Snooky Pryor - That's The Way To Do It
[3:22] 5. John Hammond Jr. - My Daddy Was A Jockey
[5:13] 6. Charlie Musselwhite - Blues Why Do You Worry Me
[4:21] 7. Chris Smither - The Devil's Real
[5:05] 8. Cephas - Black Cat On The Line
[4:04] 9. William Clarke - Lonesome Bedroom Blues
[2:25] 10. John Jackson - Louisiana Blues
[3:55] 11. Legendary Blues Band - Got Love If You Want It
[5:22] 12. Johnnie Johnson - That'll Work
[5:09] 13. Charles Brown - Quicksand Blues
[5:51] 14. Duke Robillard - Gee I Wish

The Blues Live from Mountain Stage series continues documenting contemporary roots music's finest performers with this fine collection of blues performances, featuring artists including Charles Brown ("Quicksand Blues"), Charlie Musselwhite ("Blues Why Do You Worry Me?"), and Tracy Nelson ("It Hurts Me Too").

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Johnnie Johnson - Johnnie Be Eighty. And Still Bad!

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 32:13
Size: 73.8 MB
Styles: Piano blues, Rock n roll
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:15] 1. Beach Weather
[4:09] 2. Find Me A Woman
[8:40] 3. The Blues Don't Knock
[5:08] 4. Lucky Four
[6:53] 5. Better Sell My House
[3:07] 6. A Good Day

There are sounds that never leave you. To several generations of musicians and music lovers, the sound of Johnnie Johnson playing piano is such a sound. It is a unique sound that grabs hold of your soul, gets you moving and liberates any dark corner of you that might need liberating. Johnnie’s signature combination of boogie woogie, swing, jazz, blues, gospel, stride piano, and his unique chopping bass, laid the foundation and set the melody for some of the earliest and greatest rock and roll songs. Almost all, from “Maybellene” all up to “My Ding A Ling.” I was tempted to title this recording “Johnnie B. Gooder.”

This project came together real fast. I had previously recorded a spontaneous type project on which Johnnie guested on two songs. Since then I can’t help but write with his piano playing in my brain. My knowing Johnnie and Frances precipitated my lyrics to “Beach Weather” and “Lucky Four.” I explained this and proposed this project while we were eating in Sweetie Pie’s Restaurant (owned by former Ikette Robbie Montgomery, and you want to taste their food). Johnnie and Frances said let’s go. First the fork was removed from the side of my mouth, two weeks later we were back in the studio. From experience I knew whom would walk in and do the job instantaneously. Gus Thornton is one of the finest bass players breathing, and has performed with Johnnie over a twenty some odd year stretch. Rich McDonough is a strong, creative guitarist, nonetheless, Rich is a feel player who I knew would “serve the music.” as he puts it. Rich recommended Joe Pastor for the drum spot, and Joe’s playing and attitude won me over immediately. I had the unit to interact with Johnnie and frame his unique abilities. I knew this band would go where Johnnie would go, feel, and accentuate Johnnie’s playing, with musical sense.

We had one short rehearsal and went in to record. I chose a place a distance from town. It was a long ride out to the studio. We walked in, Johnnie walked straight to the piano, sat down, and hardly ever left that spot the rest of the day. Happy at his piano. Had his coffeee and a burger right off, at his piano. While everyone was setting up, last minute stuff being dealt with, and the general goofing around and chaos ensued, Johnnie manned his station. Happy at his piano. And that was pretty much how it was the next six plus hours. Sat up straight as an arrow all day. Hardly ever left that piano. It did not matter what was happening, Johnnie let us work out our stuff, and when we were right, he was ready. And played his eighty year old ass off. Smiling when he was playing. ~from the liner notes

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The Johnnie Johnson Band - Johnnie Be Back

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:22
Size: 106.2 MB
Styles: Rock n roll, Piano blues
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[4:10] 1. Real Good Woman
[3:07] 2. If You Love Me Like You Say
[4:39] 3. Just To Be With You
[4:40] 4. Rockinitis
[3:25] 5. Baby Please
[4:42] 6. Kansas City
[4:16] 7. Tossin' And Turnin'
[3:00] 8. I'm Mad
[3:03] 9. She Called Me Out Of My Name
[2:47] 10. I'm Goin' Fishin'
[5:16] 11. Hey Hey
[3:12] 12. Johnnie & John

Johnnie Johnson is one of the unsung heroes of rock and roll. He has been called “the world’s greatest living blues pianist” and “the founding father of rock and roll,” but relatively few knew his name because he played piano in Chuck Berry’s band and did relatively little recording on his own. That, however, is changing, as Johnson’s unsung role as a key player in some of rock and roll’s most classic songs has been brought to light through the efforts of music journalists and boosters like Keith Richards (of the Rolling Stones), Eric Clapton John Sebastian (of the Lovin Spoonful) and Terry Adams (of NRBQ).

Johnson began playing at age four when his parents brought a new piano into their Fairmont, West Virginia, home. The youngster seemed to possess an innate mastery of the instrument. By nine he was playing jazz tunes by Count Basie, Oscar Peterson and Earl “Fatha” Hines on a local radio station. While serving in the Marines, Johnson performed alongside seasoned jazz professionals in the Special Service Band, and it was here he decided to make music his life’s work. Moving to Chicago after the war, Johnson apprenticed with such blues masters as Muddy Waters and Albert King on the club scene. By the early Fifties, he was living in St. Louis, where he worked in a factory by day and fronted the Johnnie Johnson Trio, an R&B band, as time allowed. When he had to replace an ailing saxophonist for a club date on New Year’s Eve 1952, he called a guitar-playing friend on short notice to sit in. His name was Chuck Berry.

Berry’s rocking hillbilly style melded with Johnson’s jazz-tinged blues and boogie. Many of Chuck Berry’s rock and roll classics - including “Sweet Little Sixteen,” “School Days” and “Roll Over Beethoven” - came about during impromptu rehearsals when Berry would show up with lyrics and ask Johnson to play some music behind it. “Just me, Chuck and the piano” is how Johnson put it. Johnson and Berry traveled to Chicago in 1955, where they recorded “Maybellene,” the first of many Chuck Berry hits that featured Johnson on piano. In fact, Berry wrote “Johnny B. Goode” as a tribute to Johnson, who often kept playing piano long after a show ended, sitting in with jazz bands and anyone who would have him. “I would play anytime, anywhere, with anybody,” he has said. Referring to his disappearing acts, Berry would look at him and say, “Why can’t you just be good, Johnny?”

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Rhythmtown-Jive - On The Main Stem

Size: 131,8 MB
Time: 56:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998
Styles: Piano Blues, Jump Blues
Art: Front

01. Kidd Jordan's Second Line (4:08)
02. Take It Easy Baby (Feat. Johnnie Johnson) (5:24)
03. Blues Hotel (Feat. Johnnie Johnson) (4:05)
04. Headin' Home (Feat. Johnnie Johnson) (5:30)
05. Mighty Fine Day (5:04)
06. That Was Then, This Is Now (4:23)
07. Jet Stream (Feat. Johnnie Johnson) (3:50)
08. Johnnie's Idea (Feat. Johnnie Johnson) (5:46)
09. Twilight Blue (5:00)
10. Somebody Told You (3:55)
11. Slow Drag (Feat. Johnnie Johnson) (5:39)
12. Boogie Woogie (Feat. Johnnie Johnson) (3:29)

A house band mainstay on the Bay Area circuit, Rhythmtown Jive's third album enlivens their Second Line New Orleans strut with a strong blues base at its core with solid guest piano work from Johnnie Johnson on seven tracks, who also wrote them. The album also features guest cameos from R&B siren Rahni Raines, Steve Freund on guitar and a full horn section blasting its way into creation. Johnson shines on "Slow Drag" and the band does their "Nawlins" thing on the opener "Kidd Jordan's Second Line" and "Mighty Fine Day." The instrumentals "Blues Hotel," "Jet Stream" and the closer "Boogie Woogie" (a true showcase for Johnson's stride work) are still this band's meat, however, and this disc gives a strong indication of why this band is so often the backing group for visiting blues and R&B stars who need a top flight band behind them. ~Review by Cub Koda

Thanks to Marc.
On The Main Stem

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Larry DAVIS - Funny Stuff / Sweet Little Angel

Born in Kansas City, Missouri (1936-1994), but raised around Little Rock, Arkansas, Davis played drums with local dance bands, then bass, then began singing. In the mid-to-late '50s he worked with Fenton Robinson first in St.Louis, then in Little Rock, and they recorded for Duke, Davis having a regional hit with 'Texas Flood', a song made more famous 25 years later by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Around 1970 Davis began playing guitar, but in 1972 he was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident and for much of decade he was only fitfully active. Encouragement from Albert King (a former employer) and the St. Louis producer Olivier Sain rekindled his career, leading to the critically acclaimed album 'Funny Stuff', European tours and further recording

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Album: FUNNY STUFF
Styles: Electric Texas Blues, Soul-Blues
Recorded: 1981
Released: 2001
Bitrate: 320k/s
Size:  99.59 MB
Time: 42:24
Art: Full

1. Funny Stuff - 3:44
2. Teardrops - 6:28
3. Next Time You See Me - 4:12
4. Worried Dream - 5:02
5. Totsy - 2:59
6. Since I Been Loving You - 3:38
7. That Will Never Do - 3:16
8. Walk Out Like A Lady - 4:07
9. Find'em, Fool'em & Forget'em - 4:37
10. Got To Be Some Changes Made - 4:15

Personnel: Larry DAVIS - Lead Guitars, Vocals
Olivier Sain - Piano, Organ, Saxophones;
Paul Westmoreland - Guitar, Bass;
Johnnie Johnson - Piano
Jimmy Hinds - Bass
Billy Gayles - Drums

Note:  Davis is a wonderful singer, yearningly melismatic on slow blues. He also a piercing guitarist, prolific in long, humming sustained notes. Sain's production departs from standard blues practice by foregrounding the vivacious rhythm section, giving the music some of colour of contemporary Southern Soul.

                                                                  Funny Stuff
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Album: SWEET LITTLE ANGEL
Styles: Electric Texas Blues, Soul-Blues
Recorded: 1968/1969
Released: 1999
Bitrate: 320k/s
Size:  118.50 MB
Time: 51:37
Art: Full

1. Whole World Down on You - 2:55
2. The Years Go Passing By - 3:09
3. What They Do To Me - 2:53
4. Three O'Clock Blues - 5:35
5. I've Been Hurt So Many Times - 3:13
6. Rock Me Baby - 2:52
7. Something About You - 3:40
8. For Five Long Years - 2:59
9. You Upset Me Baby - 2:21
10. A Letter To My Darling - 3:41
11. Sweet Sixteen - 7:11
12. Wake Up This Morning - 3:08
13. Driving Wheel - 1:58
14. It Can Only Hurt For So Long - 2:31
15. Sweet Little Angel - 3:22

Personnel: Larry DAVIS - Vocals
Wesley Farmer, Sam Rhodes, Eddie Fisher - Guitars
James Ironhead - Piano
Charles Hayer, Bobby Selby - Organ
Phil Westmoreland - Bass
Isiah Nettles - Drums

Notes: Davis grew up in Little Rock, AR, giving up the drums to play bass. Forging an intermittent partnership with guitarist Fenton Robinson during the mid-'50s, the pair signed with Don Robey's Duke label on the recommendation of Bobby Bland. Three Davis 45s resulted, including 'Texas Flood' and 'Angels in Houston,' before Robey cut Davis loose. From there, Davis was forced to make the most of limited opportunities in the studio. He lived in St. Louis for a spell and took up the guitar under Albert King's tutelage while playing bass in King's band. A handful of singles for Virgo and Kent and a serious 1972 motorcycle accident that temporarily paralyzed Davis' left side.

                                                             Sweet Little Angel
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