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Home | Delmark News Blog | “Keys and Chords” gives a 5 STAR review to JOHNNY IGUANA “CHICAGO SPECTACULAR” Delmark album!

“Keys and Chords” gives a 5 STAR review to JOHNNY IGUANA “CHICAGO SPECTACULAR” Delmark album!

September 23, 2020 Leave a Comment

Piano virtuoso Johnny Iguana grew up in Philadelphia and at the age of fifteen became obsessed with Chicago blues greats like Junior Wells and Otis Spann. A few years later, he met Junior Wells at a show in New York and was thrilled when Junior hired him after some live auditions in Boston and Rhode Island. Johnny packed his bags and toured with Junior Wells for three years. Iguana often resides in Chicago and he is emerging as one of the most important blues pianists in the United States. He recorded and played with the who’s who of Chicago blues on stage. Names like Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Billy Boy Arnold, James Cotton, Lil ‘Ed, Carey Bell, Eddy Clearwater, John Primer, Lurrie Bell and Billy Branch have no secrets from him for a long time. The record “Chicago Spectacular!” Is Johnny’s first blues album as a band leader. Johnny is just not your typical blues pianist. His playing is packed with originality and at the same times sustains the definition of the Chicago blues sound. His four original compositions naturally flow from the classic Chicago blues piano repertoire and vintage blues and boogie is always accurate. With many Chicago blues all-star artists he dove into the Delmark Studio (*), and created something contemporary and daring.

Roosevelt Sykes ’44 Blues’ is the first composition. John Primer, Bob Margolin and Michael Caskey led the dance. Bill Dickens joins the duo of Iguana and Caksey in the instrumental boogie “Hammer and Tickle”. Guitarist John Primer is also the singer in “Down in The Bottom”. Legendary harp virtuoso / vocalist Billy Boy Arnold, along with guitarist Billy Flynn and drummer Kenny Smith, bring their colors to “You’re an Old Lady”. Caskey and Dickens give shape to the postmodern “Land of Precisley Three Dances”, the jazzy “Lady Day and John Coltrane”, the shaky and contemporary “Big Easy Woman” and the up-tempo “Motorhome”.

Lil’Ed and Kenny Smith perform the Chicago blues chapters “Burning Fire” and the slide guitar inspired “Shake Your Moneymaker”. Harp artist Mathtew Skoller, Billy Flynn and Kenny Smith deliver us goosebumps in the Chicago blues enthusiastic “Stop Breakin ‘Down”, just like Billy Boy Arnold in the closing slow blues “Hot Dog Mama”. Johnny Iguana’s Chicago Spectacular! is the story of a unique pianist who honors his Chicago blues heroes, while leaving his own mark on the classic sound. It is compelling proof that blues music is still vital today and is still evolving. Good looking…!

Philip Verhaege

(*)Note: this Delmark album was actually recorded at Shirk Studios in Chicago.

LISTEN…!!!

Original Dutch Review:

Johnny Iguana’s Chicago Spectacular! 21/9/2020  
​Pianovirtuoos Johnny Iguana groeide op in Philadelphia en raakte op vijftienjarige leeftijd geobsedeerd door  Chicago blues grootheden als Junior Wells en Otis Spann. Een paar jaar later ontmoette hij Junior Wells op een show in New York en was verrukt toen Junior hem aannam na enkele live audities in Boston en Rhode Island. Johnny pakte zijn koffers en toerde drie jaar met Junior Wells. Iguana vertoeft vaak in Chicago en ontpopt er zich als een van de belangrijkste blues pianisten in de Verenigde Staten. Hij registreerde platen en stond op de planken met de who’s who van Chicago blues. Namen als Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Billy Boy Arnold, James Cotton, Lil ‘Ed, Carey Bell, Eddy Clearwater, John Primer, Lurrie Bell en Billy Branch hebben voor hem allang geen geheimen meer . De plaat ‘Chicago Spectacular!’ is Johnny’s eerste blues album als bandleider. Johnny is nu net niet die a- typische blues pianist. Zijn spel bulkt onder de originaliteit en heeft de definitie van de blues sound doorstaan.  Zijn vier originele composities vloeien uiteraard uit het klassieke Chicago blues pianorepertoire én vintage blues en boogie veranderen in iets accuraats. Met heel wat Chicago blues all-stars artiesten dook hij de Delmark Studio in, en creëerde iets eigentijds en gedurfd.
Roosevelt Sykes ‘44 Blues’ mag de compositum openen. John Primer, Bob Margolin en Michael Caskey leidden de dans.  Bill Dickens vervoegd het duo Iguana en Caksey in de instrumentale boogie ‘Hammer and Tickle’. Gitarist John Primer is ook vocaal aanwezig in ‘Down in The Bottom’. De legendarische harp virtuoze/vocalist Billy Boy Arnold mag samen met gitarist Billy Flynn en drummer Kenny Smith ‘You’re an Old Lady’ inkleuren. Caskey en Dickens geven gestalte aan het postmoderne ‘Land of Precisley Three Dances’, het jazzy ‘Lady Day and John Coltrane’, het shaky en eigentijdse ‘Big Easy Woman’ én het uptempo ‘Motorhome’.
Lil’Ed en Kenny Smith zijn voorbestemd om de Chicago blues chapiters ‘Burning Fire’ en het slide gitaar begeesterde ‘Shake Your Moneymaker’ te vertolken. Producer/harpartiest Mattew Skoller, Billy Flynn en Kenny Smith bezorgen ons goosebumps in het Chicago blues geënthousiasmeerde ‘Stop Breakin’ Down’, net zoals Billy Boy Arnold in de afsluitende  slowblues‘Hot Dog Mama’. Johnny Iguana’s Chicago Spectacular! is het verhaal van een unieke pianist die zijn Chicago blues helden verhovaardigt, dit terwijl hij zijn eigen stempel drukt op de klassieke sound. Het is een overtuigend bewijs dat blues muziek vandaag nog steeds van vitaal belang is en nog steeds in ontwikkeling is. Knap…!
 
Philip Verhaege
Foto

ORDER JOHNNY IGUANA CHICAGO SPECTACULAR CD, DOWNLOAD or STREAM, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW…!!!

Johnny Iguana’s Chicago Spectacular!

Tags: johnny iguana, piano blues Categories: Delmark News Blog

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