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Johnny "Guitar" Watson

Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson - guitarist, vocalist

A working bluesman since his teenage years in the early 1950s, Johnny "Guitar" Watson scored numerous chart successes in the 1970s with a unique guitar-based sound that mixed the feel and instrumental technique of the blues with the bass-heavy sound of funk. Watson also excelled as a vocalist. His singing was by turns sexy, humorous, and political; his guitar playing exploited the full range of the instrument's powers. He was also a prolific songwriter. When Watson died in 1996 at the age of 61, he was receiving the most modern form of musical homage: rappers and hip-hop musicians quoting or "sampling" his recordings.

Watson was born in Houston on February 3, 1935. His father was a pianist who instructed his son in the rudiments of music, and at age 11 Watson was given a guitar by his grandfather, a preacher who disapproved of the blues and made the gift conditional on his never playing that most secular of musical forms. He could hardly help it, for the postwar years might be considered the golden age of blues guitar. Black guitarists who had moved to cities in the North and West from their Southern homes found ready audiences in urban barrooms and dance halls. They started to play electric instruments and rapidly honed their skills, making great leaps in both dexterity and imagination.

As a youth, Watson had heard the blues guitar of fellow Texan T- Bone Walker. He was also influenced by guitarist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, a showman given to unusual guitar performance styles and to such onstage surprises as playing a fiddle. Moving with his family to Los Angeles around 1950, "Young John Watson," as he was billed on a 1953 single record, developed his own gift for showmanship, entering and winning a variety of talent contests and shows. This exposure led to work as a sideman (sometimes still on piano) in various West Coast jump blues and jazz bands of the time, including those led by Chuck Higgins and Amos Milburn.

Signed to the Federal label (a division of the famed Cincinnati independent King Records) in 1953, Watson began to create his own distinctive style with an instrumental single called "Space Jam." Well ahead of its time, the record featured experimentation with reverb and feedback guitar effects, and it brought the young guitarist his first hit. He recorded for various small Los Angeles labels through the 1950s, including RPM, owned by West Coast rhythm-and-blues entrepreneurs the Bihari brothers.

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Album Review

Johnny "Guitar" Watson: Blues Masters: The Very Best of Johnny "Guitar" Watson

Read "Blues Masters: The Very Best of Johnny "Guitar" Watson" reviewed by Ed Kopp


Johnny “Guitar" Watson was a vastly underappreciated blues and R&B trendsetter whose adventurous guitar style influenced the likes of Bo Diddley, Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa. The Very Best of Johnny “Guitar" Watson focuses on the years 1952 through 1963, the period when Watson made his best music. Many of these tracks were previously unavailable on CD, so this collection is a must-have for anyone interested in the roots of modern blues, R&B or classic rock.Born in Texas, ...

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Music Industry

French-brazilian Guitar Virtuoso Marcelo Paganini To Release Two Singles Digitally On November 20, 2024

French-brazilian Guitar Virtuoso Marcelo Paganini To Release Two Singles Digitally On November 20, 2024

Source: Glass Onyon PR - William James

If not now, then when? Just before celebrating his 60th anniversary, French-Brazilian guitarist, composer, producer and filmmaker Marcelo Paganini will digitally release two singles on the 20th of November 2024. The first single Marcelo Paganini will release is his short orchestral overture “Poder Paralelo”. It is just 49 bars. It lasts only about one minute. Perfect for the short attention span audience of the current times. It is the first movement of his first symphony “Belo Horizonte” that he wrote ...

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Award / Grant

For Your Grammy Consideration: Guitar-virtuoso Roman Miroshnichenko Presents 'Almanac'

For Your Grammy Consideration:  Guitar-virtuoso Roman Miroshnichenko Presents 'Almanac'

Source: All About Jazz

Prominent guitar virtuoso and producer Roman Miroshnichenko presents another record Almanac for the upcoming 67th Grammy Awards: a stunning acoustic and electric guitar fusion of flamenco-gypsy, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean folk and Latin rhythms with textures of jazz conception. “When one listens to the powerful guitar playing of Roman Miroschnichenko, it is easy to be reminded of Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin during his Mahavishnu period, but it soon becomes apparent that Miroschnichenko has his own fusion sound, setting the ...

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Recording

Storyville Records Presents 'Live In Valencia 92' From The Legendary Tenor Saxophonist, Johnny Griffin

Storyville Records Presents 'Live In Valencia 92' From The Legendary Tenor Saxophonist, Johnny Griffin

Source: Vivo Musique Internationale

The Little Giant live in Spain Johnny Griffin Live in Valencia 92 The legendary tenor saxophonist, Johnny Griffin’s electrifying performance in Valencia, Spain in 1992 is set to be immortalized on the upcoming release, Live in Valencia 92, on June 21, 2024 on Storyville Records. Accompanied by an all-star trio with French pianist Hervé Sellin, bassist Reggie Johnson and Doug Sides on drums, this recording, consisting of 6 tracks, is a chance to hear Johnny Griffin at his ...

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Recording

Guitar Virtuoso Andy Timmons Featured On The Debut Release From New Label Psychiatric Records Galactic Tide The Haas Company Vol 1

Guitar Virtuoso Andy Timmons Featured On The Debut Release From New Label Psychiatric Records Galactic Tide The Haas Company Vol 1

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

The first release from Psychiatric Records by The Haas Company puts the spotlight on Andy Timmons, a dynamic guitar virtuoso who is perhaps best known for his work with the pop-metal band Danger Danger. With drummer Steve Haas propelling the performances and keyboardist Pete Drungle contributing the music, Timmons plays with relentless passion. Joined by Haas, Drungle, Kirwan Brown or Al MacDowell on bass, and saxophonist Pete Gallio, the guitarist is heard at the peak of his powers and his ...

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Event

Charles Carlini Presents Announces Partnership With Klavierhaus For Jazz Piano And Guitar Masters Series

Charles Carlini Presents Announces Partnership With Klavierhaus For Jazz Piano And Guitar Masters Series

Source: Decibel

Charles Carlini Presents, a leading nonprofit arts presenter, is thrilled to announce its partnership with Klavierhaus, located at 790 11th Avenue, New York, NY 10019. This collaboration marks an exciting chapter for both organizations as they come together to present the acclaimed Piano Jazz Series and Guitar Masters Series, showcasing world-class talent in an intimate setting. Klavierhaus, renowned as a premier piano atelier, provides the perfect backdrop for these exceptional musical experiences. With its dedication to quality and a deep ...

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Recording

Guitarist/Composer Flavio Silva Explores Multiple Dimensions Of Electric Guitar With The June 7 Release Of 'Eko' On Break Free Records

Guitarist/Composer Flavio Silva Explores Multiple Dimensions Of Electric Guitar With The June 7 Release Of 'Eko' On Break Free Records

Source: Terri Hinte Publicity

Guitarist Flávio Silva gives his beloved Brazilian jazz a new electrical charge with Eko, set to arrive June 7 on his own Break Free Records. The follow-up to 2018’s Break Free, Silva’s third album digs deeper into the fusion sound that has always been a simmering ingredient in his heady brew of various jazz and Brazilian flavors. Brazilian rhythms have, of course, been an indispensable piece of the jazz fusion puzzle ever since percussionist Airto Moreira played on Miles Davis’s ...

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Festival

Guitar Masters Festival Presents World’s Leading Jazz Guitarists

Guitar Masters Festival Presents World’s Leading Jazz Guitarists

Source: Decibel

The 2024 Guitar Masters Festival is proud to present many of the world’s most acclaimed jazz guitarists during a series of must-see performances from April 26-29, 2024. The guitar lineups at these shows represent a who’s who of jazz’s most innovative and influential six-string masters. The festivities kick off on Friday, April 26th at the historic Klavierhaus venue, hosting an incredible 7 guitarist lineup across three sets. At 6 pm, Israeli guitar virtuoso Ohad Niceberg takes the stage with his ...

Video / DVD

Backgrounder: Johnny Alf: Rapaz de Bem, 1961

Backgrounder: Johnny Alf: Rapaz de Bem, 1961

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

For those in the know, Johnny Alf has long been thought of as the father of the bossa nova. Whether that statement is completely accurate or whether he was merely a significant influence has been hotly debated over the years. Even if the Brazilian singer-songwriter wasn't the bossa's earliest pure exponent, his softly romantic, Johnny Mathis-like vocal style, his jazzy sense of swing and his rich melodies certainly held sway over many of the artists who would become identified with ...

Recording

Johnny Hodges: 3 Shades of Blue,1970

Johnny Hodges: 3 Shades of Blue,1970

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Yesterday, I posted on Webster's Dictionary, a rare late-career album by tenor saxophonist Ben Webster and arranged by Stan Tracey that is virtually unknown by even ardent jazz fans. To continue my series on great saxophonists and little-known gems in their final years, today I'm looking at Johnny Hodges's 3 Shades of Blue, arranged and conducted by Oliver Nelson. Recorded in 1970 over two dates in March for the Flying Dutchman label, the album showcased the alto saxophonist with a ...

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Festival

New York City Braces For The Electrifying Inaugural Guitar Masters Festival

New York City Braces For The Electrifying Inaugural Guitar Masters Festival

Source: Decibel

Music lovers and guitar enthusiasts, prepare to be enthralled! The inaugural Guitar Masters Festival descends upon New York City from April 25th to 29th, 2024, promising an unforgettable celebration of the six-string. “This festival is a dream come true for guitar enthusiasts. We're bringing together some of the most incredible talents in the guitar world for five days of pure magic," says Charles Carlini, founder of Charles Carlini Presents. This five-day extravaganza, presented by Charles Carlini Presents, a non-profit dedicated ...

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