This
highly anticipated CD debuted at #3 on the Living Blues blues radio
chart. It offers twelve brand-new originals and two covers performed by
Johnny’s regular road band and augmented by the cream of the crop of West Coast
blues talent. Artists on the CD are Johnny Burgin: guitar, vocals, Kid
Andersen: guitar, piano, Steve Dougherty: drums, Aki Kumar: harp, Chris
Matheos: bass, with special guests Rae Gordon: vocals, Charlie Musselwhite:
harp, and Nancy Wright: sax.
The
band had just one night to nail it – which made this recording a crazy, but
thrilling, high wire act! Johnny drew from the great Bay Area blues talent pool
that lured him to the West Coast back in 2016. Blues legend Charlie
Musselwhite’s driving boogie-woogie harp on California Blues is an absolute
highlight. You could feel a jolt of electricity run through the crowd when
Portland, Oregon-based Rae Gordon took the stage. The end result is a raw,
fresh, and original all-star set of blues, shot through with live energy.
It’s
been 20 years since Burgin’s last CD. “My thing has always been live music,”
says Johnny. “Going to shows, booking shows, playing shows. Playing with the
best musicians I could. More than anything, I loved the feeling of getting in
the van and going. Even better, once I got there, I love the feeling of
knockin’ em dead.
…Chicago
Blues sax legend Eddie Shaw once said, ‘It takes 20 years to make a bluesman.’
Here I am, ready to play my blues for you.”