JOE JOHNSON/ LOUISIANA SWAMP MUSIC

JOE JOHNSON/ LOUISIANA SWAMP MUSIC

           

For this new portrait of Louisiana's musicians, let's put the focus on the singer and sometimes guitar and harmonica player Joe Johnson. It's certainly not an easy task for there are very few features in the Blues literature about this singer who, despite having recorded at least 18 tracks, between Swamp blues and Soul, has not been well documented.

Joseph Lee Johnson was born in Independence, La. on January 9, 1942 but seems to have moved to Greensboro, La.at an early age. He started playing guitar and harmonica and singing with Guitar Grady's Strings of Rhythm R&B group around 1959 inLouisianaand Texasclubs. It's probably through Grady that Joe Johnson recorded his first sessions in 1966 for Jay D. Miller at his Crowley's studio, two tracks being issued on the Abet label Dirty woman blues/ Santa bring my baby back to me. Two other titles, very much into the Swamp blues style, remained in the vaults for a decade before being issued by the wonderful British Flyright label in the 1970's.

            But in 1967, Johnson's return to Miller's studio gave a very different musical mood: two Soul ballads in the Otis Redding's manner, particularly the vibrant tribute to Otis, Otis is gone. Those records, although not commercially successful, probably convinced Joe to lead his own band with which he recorded more Soul numbers. We found again Johnson several years later in the Malaco's studios in Jackson, Ms, recording for Wardell Quezergue, particularly the very good The blind manwhich was featured for a short time in some local Southern charts.

            But this small success didn't last and Joe was back in Louisiana, waxing some more records for small labels.

            Joe Johnson seems to have given up his musical career in the early 1980's. According to Bob Eagle, Joe Johnson was a resident of Harvey, a small Louisiana town, in 2010. We have not heard about him since that.

            This Joe Johnson must not be confused with another musician Joe (D.) Johnson, a Texas singer and guitarist who recorded also some fine blues during the 1960's.

            Once again, most of the facts about Joe Johnson, come from the first rate website Sir Shambling, a goldmine of infos on Soul artists.

                                      Gérard HERZHAFT

Joe Johnson, vcl; Guitar Grady, g; Katie Webster, kbds; Lazy Lester, hca on *; Sherman Webster, bs; dms. Crowley, La. 1966

01. Dirty woman blues

02. We're gonna rub

03. Alimonia blues*

04. Santa bring my baby back

Joe Johnson, vcl/hca; Guitar Grady, g; Strings of Rhythm, band. Crowley, La.1967

05. Otis is gone

06. Got my oil well pumpin'

Joe Johnson, vcl/hca; Guitar Grady, g; band. Dallas, Tx. 1968

07. One horse town

08. Whiskey all night

Joe Johnson, vcl; The Admirations, vcls; band. Gretna, La.1969

09. Better days and better ways

10. No more worries

Joe Johnson, vcl; band. Jackson, Ms. 1973

11. Perfect love affair

12. Gold digging man

13. Rattlesnake baby rattlesnake

14. The blind man

Joe Johnson, vcl; band. Gretna, La. 1977

15. Nothing like being free

16. Mr Bojangles

17. Can I change my mind?

18. Do unto others