Johnny 'Guitar' Watson - Rocks

To earn the right to nickname yourself after your chosen instrument, you certainly have to be exceptional on it - and Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson most definitely was. The Houston native could have just as accurately been called Johnny ‘Piano’ Watson, since he was every bit as talented on the ivories.

Bear Family’s Watson entry in its ‘Rocks’ CD-series showcases Johnny working out on both of his main instruments, gathering his early blazing triumphs on the Combo, Federal and RPM labels as well as lesser known but equally sizzling follow-ups for a variety of Los Angeles concerns.

Johnny took blues guitar into aggressive new directions on his jumping Half Pint-A-Whiskey, Hot Little Mamma, and Too Tired, and his eye-popping 1954 instrumental Space Guitar was so far ahead of its time that we still haven’t fully caught up with it. What’s more, his hip, super-cool vocal delivery was highly influential to Etta James.

All of those aforementioned classics are here, along with Looking Back, the introductory Johnny Guitar, and his first swaggering released version of Gangster Of Love. Find out for yourself why Johnny earned the right to refer to himself as ‘Guitar!’

    Extensive liner notes by Chicago music historian Bill Dahl, plus discographical details and illustrations in the comprehensive booklet.
    Carefully remastered recordings from the best available sources.