Lonnie Johnson - The Complete Folkways Recordings

Lonnie Johnson, born in 1899, was an early blues/jazz singer/guitarist/songwriter who pioneered the role of jazz guitar and is credited as the first to play single-string guitar solos. His style heavily influenced later greats such as Django Reinhardt and T-Bone Walker and subsequently the modern blues/rock guitar solo.

Coming from a large musical family, he played professionally off-and-on from his teens to his final years, alternating with menial jobs in steel mills and as a janitor.His hey-day is considered to be in the 1920's & '30's, but this album of solo studio sessions, recorded in 1967, showed him to still be a phenomenal guitarist and strong, expressive singer.

Every song here is simply Lonnie and his guitar and he fills each tune with powerful emotion. This is more smooth and jazzy than most blues that I listen to, but done just so goddam well that you can't help but be swept away. T-Bone echoed many of Johnson's guitar lines but, if anything, Johnson proves to be the master here. Creative, melodic and always fitting the song, he plays around the tune and his vocals and creates a fullness of sound so that you do not miss any other instruments.

There is a short interview with Lonnie in the second-to-last cut, giving you a brief overview of his life. It is kind of amazing that someone this talented and influential was not able to make a living for himself with his music throughout his life. But, that is the saga of all too many musicians. In any case, an excellent example and sweet blues/jazz done by a  master. Every guitarist should hear this!