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Celebrate Jimmy Johnson's with Delmark Records
JIMMY JOHNSON November 25th 1928- January 31st 2022

Jimmy Johnson has 4 albums on his label, Delmark Records. All of them are available here, on AirPlay Direct.

Jimmy Johnson – Every Day of Your Life
AirPlayDirect.com/JimmyJohnsonEveryDayofYourLife

Jimmy Johnson - Johnson's Whacks
AirPlayDirect.com/JimmyJohnsonJohnsonsWhacks

Jimmy Johnson - North South
AirPlayDirect.com/JimmyJohnsonNorthSouth


Jimmy Johnson - Pepper's Hangout
AirPlayDirect.com/JimmyJohnsonPeppersHangout



Jimmy Johnson – Every Day of Your Life
Delmark DE 861
Compact Disc (2020)

Four decades ago, Jimmy Johnson permanently established himself as a front-rank Chicago bluesman with his unusually imaginative Delmark debut album Johnson’s Whacks (DE 644). Now he’s come full circle: Jimmy’s back on Delmark with this exciting release, which shows that he remains a vital blues force into his 90s. Johnson’s fluid, slicing guitar licks dart and spark with unpredictable elasticity throughout this set. His voice soars to the heavens time and again, never misplacing its melismatic passion no matter the tempo.


From the funky opening original “Every Day Of Your Life,” constructed around a wise lyrical message, to a churning “Down In The Valley” and exquisitely tailored revivals of the lights-out slow blues “Strange Things Happening” and a hard- driving “I Need You So Bad,” Jimmy is never less than masterful. Few contemporary bluesmen are so devastating when working in a minor key— witness Johnson’s personalized treatment of Fenton Robinson’s classic “Somebody Loan Me A Dime.” “My Ring,” another standout original, takes a swaying and unexpected reggae turn (pushing the stylistic envelope has long been one of Jimmy’s trademarks), and Johnson sits down behind the 88s for a solo reprise of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s uplifting “Lead Me On” to close the album in deeply moving style.


Funny thing is, Jimmy only became a full-time blues guitarist in the mid-1970s. Prior to that, he mostly traversed the R&B side of the tracks. Born in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Johnson grew up along with another future blues luminary, Matt Murphy. “I picked up a guitar because Murphy had a guitar,” he says. Sacred and secular sounds competed for his attention. “My first time of singing in front of an audience, I was singing gospel,” notes Jimmy. “My uncle had a Victrola, the ones you wind up, and I got to hear John Lee Hooker, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, Sonny Boy Williamson.”

THE BAR ROOM PREACHER, VENERABLE 90 YEARS YOUNG JIMMY JOHNSON RETURNS TO DELMARK FOR “EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE”
During this writer’s period as a blues radio host in the early ‘80s, Jimmy Johnson’s “Ashes in My Ashtray” and “ I Need Some Easy Money” from his 1979 Delmark Johnson’s Whacks or “Heap See” from his 1983 Alligator Bar Room Preacher, along with several other Johnson nuggets, were among the most frequent tunes played. So, it’s thrilling to see the 90-year old veteran return to Delmark 40 years from his initial recording for the label, sounding almost as vital as ever vocally and fluid as can be with his signature guitar style. Johnson’s long been established in the front rank of Chicago bluesman with a distinct guitar approach based in a minor key and impassioned high register vocals that seem to merge the best of blues, gospel and R&B into one intensely glorious instrument. Remarkably, it’s all intact on Every Day of Your Life.

The album is comprised of five originals, labeled with his original surname, Thompson, and four other stunners including Fenton Robinson’s “Loan Me a Dime” and Bobby “Blue” Bland’s hit, “Lead Me On” which finds Jimmy alone at the piano singing. He’s backed by two separate bands, featuring appropriately enough, some of the city’s best such as Rico McFarland (guitar), Roosevelt Purifoy (keys), Brother John Kattke (keys), and Pooky Styx (drums), among several others. Johnson renders all lead vocals and lead guitar but does engage in some fine guitar interplay with McFarland on his own “Rattlesnake.”





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BLUES BLAST review for Jimmy Johnson
Chicago stalwart Jimmy Johnson has been playing the blues since the 1970s, having previously performed in the soul field, accompanying the likes of Otis Clay and Denise LaSalle. His first blues release was in the late 70’s and since then he has released albums on several labels, including Delmark to whom he has returned for this release.

Jimmy wrote five new songs for the album and covers four classics on an album recorded in just three days, using two different bands of Chicago aces: the first band is Rico McFarland on rhythm guitar, Roosevelt Purifoy on keys, J.R. Fuller on bass, Pooky Styx on drums, plus Typhanie Monique on backing vocals on one track; the second band is Brother John Kattke on keys, Curt Bley on bass, Ernie Adams on drums and Julia Miller and Elbio Barilari (Delmark’s co-owners) on B/Vs on one track. Jimmy sings and handles lead guitar throughout, apart from the final track which is Jimmy solo on vocal and piano. Jimmy has always had a light voice and this has stood him in good stead as his vocal powers have not waned at all – nor have his guitar skills!

The title track is a gently funky track with good vocal harmonies by Typhanie Monique, a recommendation from Jimmy on how to live: “Live every day like it’s your last; go out every night, have yourself a ball – ain’t nowhere to run when your name is called”. Wise words indeed! Relationships feature on “My Ring” which has a touch of reggae behind a bitter-sweet tale of how the rosy future he expected turned grey after he proposed and “Rattlesnake” is that classic tale of the “friend messing with my wife”. “Down In The Valley” rolls along with strong gospel tones and “Better When It’s Wet” is an instrumental with bubbling organ by Brother John and a really catchy tune. Jimmy’s lead guitar work throughout is excellent.



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JIMMY JOHNSON IN A GREAT INTERVIEW WITH “VINTAGE GUITAR MAGAZINE”
JIMMY JOHNSON November 25th 1928- January 31st 2022

Jimmy Johnson has 4 albums on his label, Delmark Records. All of them are available here, on AirPlay Direct.

Jimmy Johnson – Every Day of Your Life
AirPlayDirect.com/JimmyJohnsonEveryDayofYourLife

Jimmy Johnson - Johnson's Whacks
AirPlayDirect.com/JimmyJohnsonJohnsonsWhacks

Jimmy Johnson - North South
AirPlayDirect.com/JimmyJohnsonNorthSouth


Jimmy Johnson - Pepper's Hangout
AirPlayDirect.com/JimmyJohnsonPeppersHangout



Jimmy Johnson – Every Day of Your Life
Delmark DE 861
Compact Disc (2020)

Four decades ago, Jimmy Johnson permanently established himself as a front-rank Chicago bluesman with his unusually imaginative Delmark debut album Johnson’s Whacks (DE 644). Now he’s come full circle: Jimmy’s back on Delmark with this exciting release, which shows that he remains a vital blues force into his 90s. Johnson’s fluid, slicing guitar licks dart and spark with unpredictable elasticity throughout this set. His voice soars to the heavens time and again, never misplacing its melismatic passion no matter the tempo.


From the funky opening original “Every Day Of Your Life,” constructed around a wise lyrical message, to a churning “Down In The Valley” and exquisitely tailored revivals of the lights-out slow blues “Strange Things Happening” and a hard- driving “I Need You So Bad,” Jimmy is never less than masterful. Few contemporary bluesmen are so devastating when working in a minor key— witness Johnson’s personalized treatment of Fenton Robinson’s classic “Somebody Loan Me A Dime.” “My Ring,” another standout original, takes a swaying and unexpected reggae turn (pushing the stylistic envelope has long been one of Jimmy’s trademarks), and Johnson sits down behind the 88s for a solo reprise of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s uplifting “Lead Me On” to close the album in deeply moving style.


Funny thing is, Jimmy only became a full-time blues guitarist in the mid-1970s. Prior to that, he mostly traversed the R&B side of the tracks. Born in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Johnson grew up along with another future blues luminary, Matt Murphy. “I picked up a guitar because Murphy had a guitar,” he says. Sacred and secular sounds competed for his attention. “My first time of singing in front of an audience, I was singing gospel,” notes Jimmy. “My uncle had a Victrola, the ones you wind up, and I got to hear John Lee Hooker, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, Sonny Boy Williamson.”