Chicago shaped Jimmy and Syl Johnson, and the brothers stayed grounded here even as they became global heroes. The singer-guitarists moved up from Mississippi after World War II and played blues and R&B, carving out their own spaces within those sounds. They had outwardly contrasting personalities and their careers took different paths; they worked together […]
Tag: Jimmy Johnson
Posted inMusic
Bob Koester leaves a colossal legacy in Chicago jazz and blues
For nearly 70 years, Bob Koester owned the Jazz Record Mart and Delmark Records—and though his businesses could be “crazy town,” they helped nurture thriving communities.
Posted inMusic
Andrew ‘Big Voice’ Odom sang for blues stars but never became one
Andrew “Big Voice” Odom toured internationally—and also used to drop by Maxwell Street and overwhelm the makeshift sound systems.
Posted inBest of Chicago
Old-school musicians beat lockdown with new-school platforms
Veteran DJ Vince Adams and nonagenarian bluesman Jimmy Johnson both took to livestreaming during the pandemic.
Posted inMusic
Blues guitarist Jimmy Johnson is much more than just Syl’s big brother
Blues guitarist Jimmy Johnson, still going strong at 91, released his newest album just four months ago.
Posted inMusic
The Reader’s guide to the 2019 Chicago Blues Festival
The Blues Festival diversifies its lineup for 2019, with suave and sexy R&B star Latimore, deep-soul legend Don Bryant, genre-defying singer Bettye LaVette, and many more.
Posted inMusic
If you see one set this Blues Festival, make it Jimmy Johnson
At 90 years old, Mississippi-born guitarist Jimmy Johnson is a walking master class in modern blues greatness.
Posted inMusic
The complete schedule of the 2019 Chicago Blues Festival
Three full days of blues in Millennium Park, featuring Bobby Rush, Ruthie Foster, Dom Flemons, Bombino, Larkin Poe, and dozens more
Posted inBlogs
Former Buddy Guy’s Legends manager opens a blues bar in Little Italy
Taylor Street Tap has already hosted bluesmen such as Jimmy Johnson, Lurrie Bell, and Guy King.
Posted inMusic
At age 88, late-blooming guitarist Jimmy Johnson enters his fifth decade in the blues
Jimmy Johnson—older brother of Syl—started out playing soul, but he came into his own as a bluesman in the late 1970s.
Posted inMusic
Guitarist Ronnie Baker Brooks balances his legacy with his drive to innovate
For his new Times Have Changed, Ronnie Baker Brooks enlists an eclectic range of guests—including his late father and Memphis rapper Al Kapone.
Posted inMusic
The Reader’s guide to the 2017 Chicago Blues Festival
The Chicago Blues Festival moves to Millennium Park for 2017, with an adventurous bill that includes Rhymefest, Rhiannon Giddens, and Ronnie Baker Brooks.
Posted inMusic
The complete schedule for the 2017 Blues Festival
Every set at the 2017 Blues Festival, from Friday morning through Sunday night on all five stages in Millennium Park
Posted inMusic
Otis Rush recorded the harrowing blues that established his legacy 50 years ago in Chicago
Blues great Otis Rush been sidelined by a stroke, but more than 25 musicians will pay tribute to him at this year’s festival.