Like Robert Johnson, Lonnie Johnson slipped under the radar for a period, reemerging in Philadelphia. But unlike Robert Johnson, Lonnie Johnson’s story is one of two successes sandwiching a period of relative obscurity. In the late 1950s Lonnie had fallen into a timewarp, moving to Philadelphia and working as a janitor, until his rediscovery around 1960 by banjoist Elmer Snowden, who brought Lonnie to the attention of noted jazz reviewer Chris Albertson. He toured Europe again with the American Folk Blues Festival in 1963; he recorded for several American labels during this second career, and he recorded in Europe with Otis Spann in Denmark; and he cut some sides with the Fontana label in Germany.
Johnson moved to Canada in 1965 and opened a club called The Home of the Blues Club. His demise began in 1969 as a result of being hit by a car while walking on a Toronto street. This was followed by several strokes which caused him to limit but not entirely cease his musical performances. His final stroke came shortly after he appeared with Buddy Guy at Toronto's renowned Massey Hall at the age of 81.
Rediscovering Lonnie Johnson is a good cross-section of Lonnie’s accomplishments, giving you the pleasure of hearing at least a sampling of most of his dossier. I also encourage you to learn about Lonny Johnson’s storied and momentous career, and to seek out his other recordings. Start with Bill Dahl’s biography on the All Music website, which begins, “Blues guitar simply would not have developed in the manner that it did if not for the prolific brilliance of Lonnie Johnson. He was there to help define the instrument's future within the genre and the genre's future itself at the very beginning, his melodic conception so far advanced from most of his pre-war peers as to inhabit a plane all his own.” You can find it on All Music Guide.
This disc was published by Range Records, and you can order it from the label's website.
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