05 Johnny Burgin - Cherry On Top
Johnny Burgin – Cherry On Top (feat. Anson Funderburgh)
Delmark Digital Single 867
Johnny Burgin - vocals, guitar
Anson Funderburgh - guitar
Christian Dozzler - piano
Chris Matheos- bass
Reo Casey- drums
Recorded January 15 & 22, 2021 in Dallas TX by Reo Casey | Mixed and Mastered by Reo Casey | Produced by Johnny Burgin
Cherry On Top is a sultry burlesque blues with lyrics of love for this Valentine’s Day! Chicago blues artist Johnny Burgin’s livin’ in a lover’s paradise and wants the world to know! Anson Funderburgh’s trademark restrained lines and super-clean tone heightens the romantic and indulgent mood of this new blues digital single.
Johnny and his road manager, Stephanie Tice (producer, Delmark DE 863) share a lot of lighthearted banter as they travel– leading to lots of “that’s a song! moments”. “Cherry On Top” is a true-life love song that was quickly jotted down as the tour van rolled. Johnny always loves to record in different cities with great local musicians, and last winter while touring in Dallas, Johnny and his touring bassist Chris Matheos jumped at the chance to record with young multi-instrumentalist Reo Casey on drums and veteran pianist Christian Dozzler.
Blues guitar aficionados will love this fruitful pairing of Johnny Burgin and Anson Funderburgh’s guitars– their first appearance together on record. Anson has long been one of the very best living blues guitarists, with an elegant and instantly recognizable sound with roots in the swinging early BB King style. Johnny’s more in a gutbucket, Chicago West Side sound, and creates a fun contrast by playing very aggressively on the outro. All in all, it’s a great meeting of dedicated simpatico blues artists to bring to this seductive and fun tune to life.
https://delmark.com/product/867/
Artist Bios
A contemporary torchbearer of the Chicago blues with a loose, wily guitar style, Johnny Burgin came up through the Windy City's blues scene in the late 1980s and early '90s, backing up regional icons like Bonnie Lee and Eddie Burks and touring with legends like Pinetop Perkins and Sam Lay. By the time he launched his solo career as a singer/bandleader in the latter part of that decade, he was already a seasoned veteran with years of hard gigging under his belt. A handful of releases leading the Rockin' Johnny Band led to several international tours, though he ultimately spent much of the 2000s on hiatus while raising a family. Burgin returned to music with a renewed vigor in the 2010s, releasing four more albums as Rockin' Johnny Burgin, then ending the decade with a spirited live set under his own name that featured legendary harp player Charlie Musselwhite.
Born in Pennsylvania and raised in Mississippi, Burgin already had some solid guitar chops and an interest in vintage blues styles when he began attending the University of Chicago in 1988. While DJing at the college radio station, a fellow DJ and harmonica player introduced him to local legend Tail Dragger, among others, and before long he was sitting in on sets at West Side blues clubs and honing his shoot-from-the-hip guitar style while learning from some of the city's great unsung players. In addition to playing in a band of local blues purists called the Ice Cream Men, Burgin spent much of the early '90s backing artists like Tail Dragger, Eddie Burks, Mary Lane, Jimmy Dawkins, and Lurrie Bell, gigging multiple nights a week. He even got some touring experience with Pinetop Perkins and Sam Lay.
When Delmark Records signed Jimmy Burns to a contract, Burgin's backing band came with the package, which in turn led the label to issue their own debut in 1997. Both Straight Out of Chicago and 1998's Man's Temptation were credited to the Rockin' Johnny Band, and in addition to significantly raising their cachet at home, the albums led them to the European blues touring circuit and some international acclaim. Meanwhile, Burgin