Bill Johnson Blues Band profile picture

Bill Johnson Blues Band

www.billjohnsonblues.com

About Me

This Victoria musician is one of Canada’s top blues guitarists. Bill Johnson has spent a lifetime immersing himself in the Blues. He’s a master of the form..in short, the man is a powerhouse who never fails to impress.Bill and his fiery fingers have played with the country’s finest blues acts: (“Victoria’s Guitar Flame Thrower”) has opened for Delbert McClinton and Otis Rush, and played lead guitar for veteran bluesmen Dutch Mason, Hubert Sumlim, Son Seales, Donald Ray Johnson, and Cash McCall.If you’re talking west coast blues, you’re talking Bill Johnson. ”Mr. Happy” is a classy singer and a smokin’ guitarist! His style is strongly influenced by the blues of the forties and fifties, but with his own fresh take on that “jumped up” sound. The listener is reminded of T-Bone Walker with his jazzy phrasing, mingled with B.B King’s sweet gospel soul squeezing the last juice out of a fresh picked chord.“He’s a fine singer and his guitar playing is a rare mix of passion and musical clarity” Tim WilliamsBill has received the Maple Blues nomination for Guitarist of the year 2006.
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Member Since: 1/14/2007
Band Website: billjohnsonblues.com
Band Members: Bill Johnson vocals, acoustic/electric/slide guitar Rick Erickson vocals, bass John Hunter drums Brendan Hedley keyboards
Influences: Pretty much everything I've ever heard, but I owe much to Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Freddy King, Albert King, T-Bone Walker, Otis Rush, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Stevie and Jimmy Vaughan, Robert Cray, Hank Williams, Elvis Presly, Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson, Bo Carter, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Ry Cooder, David Lindley, Pete Townsend, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Amos Garret, James Burton, Albert Lee, Charlie Christian, Barney Kessal, Herb Ellis, Tom Lavin, Hollywood Fats, Duke Robilard, Ronnie Earl and last but not least the guy who used to play with Dwight Yokum. .............................."I do not discriminate. I steal from every one".
Sounds Like: “ This man is a Canadian treasure. As soon as the rest of Canada hears of him, we won’t be just talking west coast. ” -Hornby Island Blues Society"I checked out Mr. Bill Johnson's music and the guy is smoking. Some real good downhome jump and blues tunes with emotional playing and singing."-Duke Robillard, multi award winning, legendary guitarist, and producer“Everyone came to dance and party to the Blues and Bill Johnson’s band delivered big time. This was the first time Bill has played in the area and if last night’s crowd reaction is any indication, it won’t be the last. The band has a tight sound, Bill’s guitar is powerful yet controlled and his voice was made for the blues, deep, resonating and passionate. The lyrics roll off his tongue with meaning and clarity, each song takes you on a journey, telling a story and above all coaxing the listener to get up and dance and be part of the experience.”Rod Dranfield President White Rock Blues Society“I knew I would like this CD after the first few seconds of the first song”. -Tom Lavin, Powder Blues“Unknown to me until his name appeared on the ballot for guitar player of the year, Johnson came to the show and although he lost out to Sue Foley, he did impress during his guest appearance in the winners jam after the awards. He hails from Victoria, BC and he bought this CD with him, recorded live at the Central Bar & Grille there a couple of years ago. As with many live recordings, some of the songs are warhorses and are perhaps longer than they need to be for listening outside the context of the night. That being said, he's an exciting player, from the T-Bone Walker/B.B. King school. The slow blues "Hurtin' Man" is a fine Johnson original and Preston contributes the excellent "I Feel Like Loving". Billy Branch's "How Can I Stand It?" is certainly not over-recorded nor is Duke Robillard's "Too Hot to Handle". The climax though is a treat: Papa Lightfoot's "Come On Baby", one of the most raucous Delta blues recordings you will ever hear, with its heavily distorted harp and vocals sung through the same mike. The band roars through this one, Preston is hot and Johnson tops it with his slide solo. The crowd loved it, you will too. The CD shows quite clearly why he was nominated.” - John Valenteyn, John’s Blues Picks, Maple Blues Magizine.“Among the many undiscovered blues artists in the country, Bill Johnson stands at the head of the line”. -Tim Williams, Juno Award winning blues artist“To my ears he’s the very best electric blues guitarist in the country”. -Ken Hamm, Juno Award winning blues artist“Johnson’s stories flow amid roar of blues in Johnny Winter style”“Johnson plays with emotion, dexterity and dynamism. The guitarist can play lightning fast, but never lets his prodigious technique get in the way of his narrative flow. Every solo tells a story, and that’s an art”.-Joe Blake, Victoria Times Colonist “The best blues singers can sing the phone book and make you want to bawl. Case in point is Sue Sinclair's Virginia Woolf Sings the Blues, which on initial reading seemed unremarkable. But when Bill Johnson sings, "My mama was the sweetest sugar cane," it sounds bluesy. Now there's a line that begs to be sung. Many of the poems benefit greatly from the musical treatment, especially Mark Jarman's street-wise Tattoos and Cigarettes, which is perfectly matched to its Curtis Mayfield-esque track. The CD contains very competently performed blues of the west coast variety, which is to say clean and upbeat. The highlight is The Bill Johnson Band's reading of Daria Patriarchus's hilarious take on the classic Kansas City -- Home Loan Blues. "I'm going out to Brampton/ Brampton here I come/ They've got some relatively inexpensive townhouses there/ and I'm gonna get me one."-Moe Berg, Globe and Mail.Keb Mo Sho “Victoria blues guys Bill Johnson and Gary Preston opened with a strong acoustic set. With Johnson on vocals and guitar and Preston on blues harp, the pair played such classics as Jimmy Reed's Bright Lights, Big City and Son House's Preachin' the Blues. Bill Johnson possesses a soulful baritone voice, and played with verve and polish”. -Adrian Chamberlain, Victoria Times-Colonist“Many of Canada’s finest blues musicians take their hat off to this shy guitar monster from Victoria. Fans of the blues are quickly catching on too. The inevitable comparisons have been drawn between a host of guitarists from Eric Clapton to BB King. Comparisons aside, Johnson has forged a unique style all his own”.“Bill Johnson pumped up house adrenaline with his rhythmic rush. The Port was alive and rockin'.” “Gold standard blues musicians, Gogo, Hamm, and Johnson”By Denese Izzard, Gabriola Sounder?Friday, December 5, 2003
Type of Label: Indie