I have been thoroughly enjoying the remastered reissues of classic blues albums from Craft/Concord, and the latest I have come across is this Lonnie Johnson album from 1960. Lonnie was a pioneer of both jazz guitar, widely recognised as the first to play guitar solos note by note with a pick, and was also the first to play an electrically amplified violin. If that was not enough, he recorded with both Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, made more than 130 recordings for Okeh by 1932, also recorded for Bluebird, and in 1947 his version of “Tomorrow Night” sold more than three million copies. Apparently, he toured the UK in 1954, supported by Tony Donnegan, who was so inspired that he dropped “Tony” to become “Lonnie” Donnegan. As with many classic bluesmen, he was not ‘discovered’ by the wider community until late in his life, with his first full-length album coming out in 1958, and this his third in 1960, when he was already in his sixties.
Credited to Johnson (vocals, electric guitar) with former Ellington boss Elmer Snowden (acoustic guitar), they were also accompanied by Wendell Marshall on bass. Unlike many other blues recordings from this period, this is suave and sophisticated, as far removed from the likes of Buddy Guy as one could imagine, having a far more commercial feeling, smooth and fine. There are ballads such as “I’ll get Along Somehow” which are poignant, full of passion, tugging at the heartstrings while relying on a slower tempo and nuances from the guitars with the concentration being on vocals and bass. Instrumentals like “Savoy Blues” have the guitar far more to the fore, picked and staccato, with the feeling that every note is deliberate as opposed to being driven along on a wave of passion like many others at this time. The style does remind me of B.B King, but vocally it is quite different.
Bob Dylan says he was greatly influenced by Johnson, and he also impacted the likes of Reinhardt, but this is the first time I have come across him and I am so glad I have. This is a delicious laid-back commercial blues that is honest and real and is a delight to hear in this plastic age.
Rating: 8/10
Links:
https://craftrecordings.com/