Carlos Johnson & Blues special Band: My name is Carlos Johnson.

Carlos Johnson & Blues Special Band
My Name Is Carlos Johnson

Temas

1- Hey Pretty Baby II - C. Johnson
2- As The Tears Go Passing By - A. King
3- All Right Ok You Win/ Going To New York - S. Wyche & M.Watts/ J. Reed
4- My Name Is Carlos Johnson - C. Johnson
5- Sometimes I Wonder - C. Johnson
6- The thrill Is Gone - B.B. King
7- Carlos Johnson Boogie - C. Johnson
8- Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town - W. Weldon
9- She Wants To Sell My Monkey - H. Whittaker
10- Ain't Nobody Business - J. Whiterspoon
11- Hey Pretty Baby I - C. Johnson
12- Summertime - G Gershwin

Lead Guitar and vocal: Carlos Johnson Guitar: Roberto Porzio Bass: Mauro "Easy Baby"Diana Drums: Adrian Flores Guitar (Track 6): Daniel Raffo Drums (Track 6): Patricio Raffo Bass (Track 6): Mariano D'Andrea

Fue en junio de 1997 cuando tuve la oportunidad de verlo por primera vez en vivo, estaba tocando con el conjunto de Billy Branch en el Blues Etcetera en Chicago, y desde un principio acaparó mi atención. Realmente fue muy impresionante su perfomance y en ese momento pensé que algún día lo íbamos a tener en Buenos Aires.
Carlos johnson nació en Chicago el 17 de Enero de 1953 y desde muy joven se interesó por la música y comenz¿) a tocar la guitarra, pero tenía un problema, era zurdo y no había muchas guitarras para él, entonces empezó con una de derecho.
No pasó mucho tiempo que observó que Otis Rush,Albert King, Lefty Dizz, Eddie Clearwater, por nombrar a algunos que también eran zurdos y tocaban con guitarras de derechos.
Carlos no usa púa, con su dedo pulgar le basta, esto hizo que muchos se fijaran en él y lo convocaran para grabar. Es el caso de Son Seals, a quien acompañó en el disco "Bad Axe" para la marca de Bruce lglauer, Alligator. También integró y grabó con Billy Branch & Sons of Blues para el sello Red Beans "Where is my money".
Hoy se encuentra tocando en Chicago con su banda "Serious Blues Band", con la cual estuvo tocando en el Festival de Blues de Chicago en 1 998, y como músico cesionista acompañando en giras a Billy Branch.
Estas son sus primeras grabaciones como solista realizadas la tarde de¡ 19 de noviembre de¡ 2000 después de dos shows, viernes y sábado en el Blues Special Club su cansancio después de un fin de semana agitado no se notó. Llegamos al estudio a las 3 de la tarde y luego de unas horas perdidas, comenzamos a grabar a las 6 y a las 10:30 ya habíamos terminado, todo un record.
En este disco encontrarán clásicos como "She want to sell my monkey" de Tampa Red, "Ain't nobodys business" de jimmy Whiterspoon, "Gonna move to the outskirts of town" de Casey Bill Weidon; como así también composiciones de Carlos como "Hey pretty baby", "My name is Carlos johnson" (donde emula a sus maestros john Lee Hooker, Lefty Dizz y Freddie King), "Sometimes 1 wonder" (aquí toca y canta a la vez) y "Carlos johnson boogie" (un tributo a sus Bluesmen favoritos).
Llegando al final, el último track es "Summertime", acá se lo puede escuchar solo con su guitarra y su voz en una versión muy particular.
Cuando terminamos de grabar y estábamos escuchando lo realizado Carlos nos agradeció poder grabar y tocar solamente Blues, algo que en USA dice que no puede hacer.
No hubo comienzo o final en los temas que hayamos ensayado antes de grabar. Sólo dejar fluir nuestros sentimientos y éste es el resultado. Nada más que Blues. 

Adrián Flores
Notes about this record
It was in June 1997 when I had the opportunity to see hem for the first time, performing live with the Billy Branch band at the Blues Eto in Chicago. He caught my attention from the very beginning. He was an outstanding performance and at that moment I thought how wonderful it would be to have him someday in Buenos Aires.
Carlos Johnson was born in Chicago on January 17, 1953. He took an interest in music at very tender age, and started playing guitar being very young. He is left-handed and that was a problem for him because at that time there were not many guitars for lefties: that's why he started playing a regular one.
Soon he realized that Otis Rush, Albert King, Eddie Clearwater, Lefty Dizz, just to name a few, were also left-handed and played with guitars for right-handed.
Carlos doesn't use a pick, he prefers this thumb. Many people noticed and were surprised by that and invited him to record with them. This was the case of Son Seals, when he accompanied in the recording of "Bad Axe", for Bruce Iglauer's Records, Alligator. He also joined Billy Branch & Sens of Blues recording "Where is my money" for the Red Beans Label.
Now a days you can find him in Chicago playing with his band, the "Serious Blues Band", the same one that took part in the Festival of Blues in Chicago 1998. He also backed up Billy Branch in tours.
These are Carlos Johnson's first recordings as soloist taken place in November 19, 2000 after two shows, Friday and Saturday, at the Blues Special Club. After an agitated weekend, there was no notice of him being tired. We arrived at the studio at 3 p.m. and after some preparing time, we started recording at 6 p.m. finishing at 10:30 p.m.. Quite a record!
In this CD you'll find classics such as "She wants to sell my monkey" by Tampa Red, "Ain't nobody's business" by Jimmy Whiterspoon, "Gonna move to the outskirts of town" by Casey Bill Weldon, as well as Carlos own numbers such as "Hey Pretty baby", "My name is Carlos Johnson" (were he emulates his masters John Lee Hooker, Lefty Dizz and Freddie King), "Sometimes I wonder" (playing and singing at he same time) and "Carlos Johnson Boogie", a tribute to his favorite bluesmen. To finish thins up, the track is "Summertime". His guitar and his voice present a particular version of this song.
After finishing our recording and when listening to it, he thanked us a lot for letting him play blues and nothing but blues, he remarks this is something he can't do in the US
There were no rehearsed beginning or endings to the therness we recorded. We just let our feelings flow and this is the result; nothing but the blues.

Adrián Flores

http://www.paseoclick.com.ar/Productos/ZoomProducto.asp?CR=1&Z=CarlosJohnsonMNCJ.htm