Meet Me In Bluesland

Meet Me In Bluesland

On January 25, 2003, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Johnnie Johnson -- the man Rolling Stone called â€œthe greatest sideman in rock and rollâ€ for his groundbreaking piano work with Chuck Berry -- stepped on stage at Houston, Texasâ€™ Reliant Stadium. He joined his hosts, The Rolling Stones, for a rousing rendition of Honky Tonk Women. After hanging out all night with Keith Richards, Johnson got on a plane and flew to Kentucky. There he reunited with his good friends, Grammy-winning Southern blues-rockers The Kentucky Headhunters -- brothers Richard and Fred Young, Greg Martin, Doug Phelps and Anthony Kenney. The plan was to have Johnnie lay down some piano for the bandâ€™s upcoming release, Soul. But the vibe was too strong and the music too good, so the tape just kept rolling. With songs and arrangements furiously being created on the spot and everything recorded live as it happened over the course of three days, a magical musical event was underway. Because the whole session was spontaneous, there were no immediate plans to release an album. After Johnnieâ€™s death in 2005, the tapes, while never forgotten, remained unissued. The performances, which can now be heard on Meet Me In Bluesland, found Johnson playing some of the deepest and most rocking blues piano of his legendary career. With The Kentucky Headhunters at their down-home best, the album is a country-fried, blues-infused party from start to finish. The album grooves from the raunchy rock of Stumblinâ€™ to the slide-fueled Superman Blues to the roof-raising version of Little Queenie to the salacious Sheâ€™s Got To Have It (the last vocal Johnson ever recorded). â€œThe minute Johnnie sat down with us, the music was a kind of ecstasy,â€ says guitarist/vocalist Richard Young. â€œJohnnie made us play like real men,â€ says guitarist/vocalist Greg Martin. â€œPlaying with him, the groove got bigger and much more grown up.â€ Drummer Fred Young adds, â€œWe all admired Johnnie from the start. The first time we played with him was the first time I ever felt like we were doing it right. The music we made on Meet Me In Bluesland is as good as it gets.â€ The relationship between Johnson and The Kentucky Headhunters dated back to 1992. Headed to New York for a Grammy Awards party, Greg picked up the new Johnnie Johnson CD, Johnnie B. Bad, for the ride. The band listened to nothing else all the way to New York. Having no idea heâ€™d be at the party, they were shocked to see Johnnie Johnson sitting alone at a table. After some quick introductions, the musicians talked for hours, becoming fast friends. In 1993 they released their first collaboration, Thatâ€™ll Work, on Nonesuch. They took the show on the road, playing gigs from the West Coast to New England, from Chicagoâ€™s Buddy Guyâ€™s Legends to New York Cityâ€™s Lone Star CafÃ©. They performed at The Jamboree In The Hills in Belmont County, Ohio, where Johnson, with the Headhunters triumphantly jamming behind him, played to over 30,000 fans. From their very first meeting, Johnson and The Kentucky Headhunters stayed close, getting together whenever possible. In 2003, when the band asked Johnson to record with them again, he couldnâ€™t wait to get back to Kentucky and make music with his friends. Over the next three days, they created an album filled with rollicking, timeless performances. â€œJohnnieâ€™s music was spontaneous, organic, magic energy,â€ says Greg. â€œDuring the recordings, everything was off-the-cuff and easy; a higher power just took over. This album is special, and weâ€™re very happy in 2015 that itâ€™s coming to fruition.â€ Adds Fred, â€œJohnnie gave us the gift of letting us know what it was like to do something great.â€
Country USA
Brand Alligator Records
Manufacturer Alligator Records
Binding Audio CD
ItemPartNumber ALL4965.2
Model AL 4965 02
ReleaseDate 2015-06-02
UnitCount 1
UPCs 014551496526
EANs 0076625972589

Country	USA
Brand	Alligator Records
Manufacturer	Alligator Records
Binding	Audio CD
ItemPartNumber	ALL4965.2
Model	AL 4965 02
ReleaseDate	2015-06-02
UnitCount	1
UPCs	014551496526
EANs	0076625972589

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