Last night, on 25 November 1997, I had the pleasure of seeing Johnny perform live at a club in Danbury, Connecticut, called Tuxedo Junction. Having seen Johnny over 40 times live, I can say that last night was no disappointment.
There was no warm-up band, apart from a couple of local guys playing acoustic guitars early in the evening, so all the attention was focused on Johnny. No complaints there. I hadn’t seen him in about a year, and I was eager to see how he was doing. I’ve read a lot in recent months about differing opinions on his health and performances.
I have followed his live shows from 1974 to the present day, and I’ve practically grown up watching him evolve through various phases of rock and dedicated blues. From his John Dawson Winter III tours, through Captured Live, Together, Muddy Waters, James Cotton, and all the bassists, drummers, and guitarists along the way. I don’t attempt to compare those days to now, only to appreciate each era for what it was and is. Obviously, time doesn’t stand still, and while his vocals may have diminished somewhat, last night reminded me why I have always considered him to be the greatest blues guitarist.
As usual with his performances, the anticipation of his arrival on stage grew as restless fans chanted for him. At 10:30 PM, the stage was bathed in blue light, and Johnny stepped up to the mic without assistance, letting us know he was ready with a resounding "Yeahhh!" several times. He was smiling and looked well.
He began with Hideaway, as he often does, both warming up and showing us why we came to see him. The sound system was excellent, with the volume set just right. You couldn’t help but cheer him on. Mojo Working was next, followed by Sick & Tired. Then came Blackjack Blues, which I’ve heard him play several times, but this version was exceptional. The melodic and fat chord arrangements, coupled with a down-and-dirty bass line, made the packed house roar. By this time, Johnny was completely warmed up and clearly intent on pleasing the crowd, which was showing its approval in kind.
She Likes to Boogie Real Low and White Line Blues followed. At this point, the Lazer took a rest, and the Firebird and slide came to the stage. A familiar song, whose name escapes me, played next, but at this point, I didn’t care about titles. He absolutely smoked! Some seriously bad-ass slide playing—a total masterclass. These songs were all pretty long versions, filled with exceptional improvised licks that could have gone all night as far as I was concerned.
Johnny didn’t sit for any of the slow blues or slide work, and he was interacting with the audience between every song, something I hadn’t seen him do in recent years. It was really nice to see him so engaged.
After just over an hour, he said goodnight but quickly returned for an encore, breaking into his signature Johnny Guitar. Hearing that one live is always a highlight. He rocked the house.
He ended with an instrumental, a driving, funked-up blues progression with gutsy bass playing, which led Johnny to spin 360 degrees, prompting an electrifying roar from the audience. He repeated the spin a second time, to everyone’s delight. The show ended after an hour and twenty minutes, with cheering fans and Johnny waving his Lazer in admiration.
Special credit goes to Tom Compton on drums. This guy plays his heart out and stands equal to Bobby Caldwell and Richard Hughes. While I miss Jeff Ganz on bass, Mark Epstein has filled the spot very well, with great talent and enthusiasm. Anyone who has the opportunity to see Johnny live shouldn’t hesitate. He truly wails. Luckily, he plays the New York tri-state area quite often, and if he’s in town, I’ll be there.
