Lonnie Johnson with Elmer Snowden - Blues & Ballads (2023)

LIMITED EDITION. The Complete Album + 2 Bonus Tracks.

New Orleans-born Lonnie Johnson was one of the most musically sophisticated blues guitarists of all time. He set a standard that later blues performers strived to match. His legacy is immense, and not only in the blues field. Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, LaVern Baker, Bob Dylan and countless others have recorded his songs. Lonnie left an indelible mark on modern American music.

One of Lonnie Johnson's numerous comeback albums of the early 1960s, Blues & Ballads coincides with the folk/blues revival of that era, and presents the revered New Orleans-born guitarist/singer in fine form, despite years of inactivity. Ably assisted by guitarist Elmer Snowden and bassist Wendell Marshall, Johnson applies his plaintive croon and deft guitar playing to both sauntering rural blues tunes (the weary "Back Water Blues") and gorgeous jazz-tinged ballads (a spare, poignant take on "Memories of You"), effortlessly revealing his artistic range. A must for fans of the underrated bluesman, this record is followed by the excellent companion piece Blues, Ballads, & Jumpin' Jazz.

As happened with other bluesmen of his generation, Lonnie Johnson's musical career declined in the 1950s, reducing him to taking jobs as a cook or a janitor. Blues & Balladsis one of the albums that marked his comeback.

"One of the most charming and affecting blues singers. This collection is pure pleasure."