Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

Senior slinger Guitar Jr. Stings the Iron Horse

Luther “Guitar Jr.” Johnson delivered two solid sets of West Side soul and Chicago blues Saturday night in Northampton.

Touring behind a hot new release, “Talkin’ About Soul” (2001, Telarc), Johnson and his band, The Magic Rockers, laid down over two hours of deep blues at the Iron Horse, a club Johnson first played in 1981. The Magic Rockers took the stage first, kicking things off with a boogie-woogie intro from keyboardist Travis “Babyface” Colby. Rhythm man Big Jack Ward jumped in with sweet seventh chords on his semi-hollow six-string, and the party was underway. Ward then led the band through a reggae-tinged number highlighted by a stellar cadenza from saxophonist Lynwood “Cookie” Cook, who added imaginative percussive effects to his crystal clear tone.

The band immediately launched into an up-tempo piece as Guitar Jr. strode forth from the bar, through the crowd, and onto the stage. The Grammy and Handy award winner, adorned in gold jewelry, strutted to the mic in a crisp red suit and matching Fender Strat. Johnson took charge at once, successfully engaging the audience in a sing-a-long chorus. Considering that the staid clientele often appear far more concerned with the entrees than with the entertainer, this was no small feat.

Johnson ripped through a strong first set, varying tempos as he stuck mainly to a stinging West Side guitar attack. “If you don’t like the blues, you got a hole in your soul,” Johnson announced, challenging anyone to argue otherwise. There were no takers.

Saxman Cook, sporting a puffed-sleeve purple satin shirt and shades, deserved overtime pay, adding great depth and color to every song with his dead-on solos and phrasing. The high-water mark of the first set was a transcendent cover of B.B. King’s “It’s My Own Fault”, as Johnson unleashed one of his finest solos of the night.

After an intermission that had many patrons seeking outside relief from the Iron Horse’s plumbing conditions, the second set got underway with a propulsive bassline from Wes James.

The Magic Rockers sounded best on driving shuffles and marches, their solid rhythmic stylings ably complementing Johnson’s slashing staccato leads. The second set was marred by a few confused endings and faltering intros, but Guitar Jr. rebounded with a creative take on Muddy Waters’ classic “Long Distance Call”. This served as a reminder of Johnson’s extensive four decade-plus career, for it was Guitar Jr. holding down Muddy’s rhythm axe chair from 1972-1979.

Johnson brought the club to a rapt standstill with an unaccompanied arrangement of gospel standard “When I Lay My Burden Down”, recalling advice from his mother that “You don’t have to go to church to serve the Lord!” After this, Johnson half-heartedly tried to leave the stage, but was yanked right back by the crowd’s standing ovation. They weren’t disappointed, as Guitar Jr. played his wild card, mixing it up with the floor-stompin’ honky tonk of “I’m A Texas Cowboy.” The riled crowd called him back again, and Johnson capped off the night with a scorching Chicago shuffle led by feather-capped drummer Lenny Payne’s infallible ride cymbal.

The 66-year old, Mississippi-born Johnson has carved out a respected niche on the New England scene in the last twenty years, and it seems that this latest release and line-up has Guitar Jr. poised for a breakthrough. Compared with recent performances in Boston and Montreal, Johnson definitely was at his sharpest Saturday in NoHo. However, the occasional lack of cohesion between Johnson and his band was an inexcusable blemish on what was otherwise a solid show, and an illustrative suggestion as to why Guitar Jr. and The Magic Rockers haven’t enjoyed greater success.

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