ROCKIN’ JOHNNY BAND

Grim Reaper

Delmark

By Larry Schara

You could call this review “A Tale of Two CDs.” Read on…

It’s been more than a decade since Chicago’s Delmark records released Rockin’ Johnny Burgin’s well received Man’s Temptation. Mysteriously disappearing shortly afterwards, it was a long, long time before Rockin’ Johnny began appearing again on the local blues scene over the last couple of years.  Now with his new band including Rick Kreher on rhythm guitar, Davin “Big D” Erickson on harp, John Sefnr on bass and Steve Bass on drums, they headed into the studio to record this new Delmark release Grim Reaper.

As a much noted player with a rich history in the Chicago blues scene, including contributions to the recordings of Tail Dragger, Little Arthur Duncan and a host of others, this CD is being released with a lot of fanfare. So when the Grim Reaper CD arrived in the mail, I was seriously looking forward to it.  Facing a 16-hour drive to Denver, I knew I was going to have plenty of uninterrupted time to really delve into Rockin’ Johnny’s latest project . On an overcast Sunday morning with dark storm clouds on the horizon, I steered out onto the interstate, set the cruise control and settled into a perfect day to listen to the blues.

Popping in the CD and letting the first song, “Grim Reaper,” rip I can describe my reaction in one word …thud!  It was like dropping a brick onto the sand. The song went nowhere. It was just cliché guitar licks with a tired sounding old arrangement and uninspiring vocals. The addition of the backwards guitar solo, an old rock production staple from decades ago, was a feeble attempt at saving a really weak song. And this was the title track?!

Track 2, track 3 and track 4 were all about the same – nothing exciting.  About half way through track 5 I felt as if I was going to fall asleep at the wheel. Where is the magic? Where is the substance to all the hype, I wondered?

Then I found it. When track 6, “Rollin’ & Tumblin”, came on it was as if somebody flicked the switch. It was all here.  The energy and feel had come alive. Finally a worthy song blasted from the speakers. This truly is a great song with an inspired performance by the band, the guitarists and the vocals! This is what I had been expecting all along since unwrapping the plastic from the CD case.

And it didn’t stop there. Rockin’ Johnny’s original, “It’s Expensive to be Broke”, features Chicagoans Kenny Anderson on trumpet, Dudley Owens on tenor sax and Jerry DiMuzio on bari . This solid arrangement and the addition of the horns accented Johnny’s vocals perfectly.

Song after song, all the way to the end of the CD, the music made the ride truly enjoyable. Davin’s harp on the instrumental “Brand New Boots,” along with Johnny’s solo guitar, makes this song a definite highlight of the CD. The interplay between the sax and slide guitar on “My Sweet Baby” will get your toes tapping for sure and Johnny’s guitar work on Fenton Robinson’s “Somebody Loan Me a Dime” shows why he deserves the attention.

Getting to the last track, a lively cover of Rockin’ Sidney’s  “Party This Christmas,” I again initially wondered what were they thinking by ending the CD with a holiday song. But this song stands well on its own as a blues tune while fitting right in with the rest of the CD’s vibe, groove and energy.

It makes you wonder in this day of downloads and I-pods, and the ability to make your own playlist, if the label really gave any thought as to the order of the songs. If I wasn’t reviewing this CD for publication I probably would have ejected it halfway through song number 5 and never got to the good stuff! I’m glad I didn’t.

To be fair, I went back and listened to this CD numerous times. It’s still in the car and I’m still listening.  I played it in order again, backward, in random sequence and I still feel the first 5 tracks are just filler. Personally I will always listen to this CD starting on Track 6, “Rollin & Tumblin’”, and have done so on a regular and enjoyable basis. With 15 tracks, Grim Reaper is almost enough music for two CDs anyway. I would strongly recommend getting this CD and give it a listen. I know for sure you’ll like the second two thirds and just maybe the first couple of songs will strike a chord in you as well.

Larry Schara is a 40 year veteran of the music industry as a musician, engineer, producer with 9 Grammy nominated credits, a couple of gold records and a fond remembrance of working with Ray Charles, B.B. King and Chuck Berry among others.