The Rockin' Johnny Band - More Real Folk Blues (2000) [CD Rip]

Personnel:
Johnny Burgin: Guitar, Vocals
Rick Kreher: Rhythm Guitar
Sho Komiya: Bass
Kenny Smith: Drums
Eddie Shaw: Sax tracks 1 & 2
Mark Cihlar: Harmonica tracks 6 & 7
Jesse Scinto: Sax track 4
Billy Flynn: Guitar track 10

Recorded by Mike Konopka of Metro Mobile, Aug 29-30, 2000 at BLUES on Halsted, Chicago. Mixed and Mastered by Jim Reeves, November 2000. Johnny's third and long out of print release and his first live recording.

Rockin' Johnny Burgin does not stay in one place very long.

Whether you've caught his innumerable live appearances, or you've caught his two previous Delmark CD's, he's always expanding (or scaling back) the format, continually flipping the script when necessary. He's worked with several fine musicians, but the core remains Sho Komiya, with the bottom; Kenny Smith with the beat; and Rick Kreher on rhythm guitar. Sometimes it's a predestined idea.. other times, it was planned on the spot. In any event, he's sure not to cover the same complacent terrain each time out.

Johnny recorded MORE REAL FOLK BLUES, his newest CD, live at BLUES on Halsted St., in Cicago, playing his "West Side soul" in front of a well-heeled audience. He's helped out by Eddie Shaw, whose work with Howlin' Wolf helped blaze a trail for sax players in Chicago blues. The tapes rolled, the audience made noise, the bartenders moved a lot of beer and Johnny was just being Johnny, paying homage to Earl Hooker, Magic Sam, and his own "hillbilly guitar" roots. He once told me that when playing behind blues greats like Tail Dragger and Jimmy Burns, his job on the bandstand is to become "quietly indispensable", unnoticed at first, but missed when absent. These days, Johnny is front and center more often than not, and has clearly learned from the greats. It's his time to shine.