Johnny Iguana - At Delmark (2025) Hi-Res

Brian Berkowitz, known professionally as Johnny Iguana, is an American Chicago blues pianist, singer and songwriter. He has recorded albums with Junior Wells, Carey Bell, Koko Taylor, Lil' Ed Williams, Eddie Shaw, Matthew Skoller, Lurrie Bell, Carey Bell, Oh My God, and the Claudettes among many others.
His own debut as a blues bandleader, Chicago Spectacular!, was issued in August 2020 on Delmark Records.

Delmark Records has a long history of releasing blues piano albums back to 1962, With this one, we have featured one of the great blues pianists who showcases his skills on his first Delmark album. Johnny Iguana, born in New Jersey as Brian Berkowitz grew up in Philadelphia and transplanted to Chicago to pursue his musical career in blues.

Iguana is a talented pianist with a flair for imaginative music. His band, The Claudettes, is a roots blues band that is well immersed in punk and rock and God knows what else. Presenting themselves in a film noir sort of identity, the cast of characters around Johnny has varied for their shows and six albums, but they are unique and talented folks he has led to produce great music.

Here we have Iguana returning to his blues roots and more as he gives us his take on some classics and some original stuff. After moving to NYC for a short time, he met Junior Wells in 1994. He toured with Junior for three years and moved to Chicago. Otis Rush is another giant Iguana has toured with. The twelve cuts here, six covers and six originals, showcase Iguana’s talents at the 88 keys.

He opens with Little Brother’s “ Bass Key Boogie,” a bright and airy traditional Chicago blues piano cut. His fingers roll over the keys with aplomb as his left hand delivers a solid bass line and his right gives us the sprightly sounds of the cut. Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” is next. Iguana turns it into a barrelhouse, honky tonk cut that is quite cool. His original “For Dancers Only” starts out sounding like a piano doing early rock and roll and then the key changes as Iguana attacks the keys in a heavy and slick manner. He mixes in the 16 Candles-esque sounds with his virulent piano assault. It’s quite interesting and cool.

“Stormy Night at a Moroccan Blues Bar” follows, another original. He hits the piano with a somewhat dissonant tune that goes far and wide to achieve success– another winner! He returns to Chicago with the cut Junior made famous: “Messin’ with the Kid.” He rollicks and gives us his take on the classic with a unique approach. Then it’s “Trippin’ in a French Ambulance,” something few of us have done but now can imagine as Johnny gives us an ethereal, somewhat flowing number that builds into a frantic world of piano revery. He slows down and then builds into a slightly whirling dervish of a conclusion.

“One More for the Cleaning Crew” is a light and airy original piece which is a delight. Then Chuck Berry’s “You Can Never Tell” is refreshingly fun and entertaining with Chuck’s song and riffs turned into a cool barrelhouse tune. Magic Sam’s “You Belong to Me” follows, with Johnny turning this iconic Westside blues song into a magnificent piano work. It’s still blues but it seems to have become so much more with Johnny’s fingers transforming it.

“Welcome Distraction” is another piano assault where Iguana creates magic on the keys, mixing dissonance with peace, It’s striking and once again cool. “Riff Raff” follows and Iguana takes this mega rock AC DC tune and turns it into a thoughtfully done blues piano piece. It’s another imaginative and well done cover. Iguana concludes with “Roll ‘Em” and he does roll over the keys in this original honky tonk piano cut as he traverses up and down the keys with skill.

I loved this album. Iguana defines himself as a true mast of the ivories and has shown he needs to be considered up there with all the Chicago piano greats. This is a superb, award-worth set of tunes. You need to get this one!