Johnny Burgin – Ramblin’ from Coast to Coast
Straight Shooter Records SHOT 045
12 songs – 46 minutes
A former University of Chicago student who dreamed about a career as a writer, Johnny Burgin has been traveling the world as a bluesman since working with Tail Dragger, Billy Boy Arnold and Pinetop Perkins. Now in his mid-50s, the grass doesn’t have time to grow under his feet because he’s one of the most active road dogs in the world, working with top-flight talent wherever he’s traveling, and, thanks to albums like this one, recording performances to share with the world.
One of the most stylish guitarists in the Windy City tradition, he’s back in the good, old U.S.A. – not exactly coast-to-coast as the title infers, but to Rochester, N.Y., Cincinnati, Memphis and Dallas to be exact — for this platter after recently serving up CDs captured in Spain and Japan. There’s still an international element to it, however, because it’s on Denmark’s Straight Shooter Records instead of Johnny’s longtime partnership with Delmark.
It’s a star-studded affair that includes 20 artists in potent, but limited roles, including vocalists John Blues Boyd and Rae Gordon, pianists Ben Levin, Christian Dozzier and Hanna PK, guitarists Dylan Bishop and Jad Tarij, bassists Jon Hay and Mike Morgan in a lineup that also includes drummers Danny Banks, Reo Casey, David Plouffe and Shorty Starr, bassists Chris Matheos, organist Barry Seelen and backup singers Lisa Leuschner Andersen, Marina Crouse and Jill Dineen.
Recorded by Hay in Memphis, Casey in Dallas, Dave Anderson in Rochester and Matt Hueneman in Cincinnati, the set was mixed and mastered by Kid Andersen at his world-renowned Greaseland Studios in California. “Ramblin’ from Coast to Coast” lopes out of the gate with a sprightly shuffle as Burgin hits the highway because his lady’s love has turned to distain and delivers his lyrics in a pleasant, assertive tenor. His and Tariq’s prowess on the six-string comes to the fore mid-tune in the break.
The slow-blues burner “Gettin’ My Blues On” definitely does the trick to follow, asserting that all the singer wants to do is have a good time, as the female chorus adds depth to amplify the seriousness of his separation. The mood brightens instantly with the medium-tempo shuffle, “I Need Something Sweet,” which finds Johnny in a late-night prowl for a treat to eat despite the knowledge that his doctor has warned him that eating too much sugar can lead to a heart attack.
Penned by Billy Flynn and one of only two covers in the set, the slow-and-solid “Silent Suffering” follows as Burgin yearns for relief from some unspoken sorrow but knows he can’t be consoled. Dozzler works out mid-tune before Johnny’s stellar picking extends the shuffle. “Stepladder Blues” is a new song, but it would have fit comfortably in the setlist of any singer in the Windy City in the ‘70s or ‘80s as it euphemistically announces the intent to climb high to get at his lady’s peaches in the tree.
The uptempo “Cincinnati Boogie” is up next, blazing down Highway 74 as it celebrates the city as the “Harlem of the Midlands.” Its driven forward by the steady rhythms of Starr and mastery of Levin. But it’s soon on to the West Coast to celebrate “Fresno Woman.” It’s a deep-in-the-pocket effort with Johnny on slide and directed at a no-nonsense woman who knows how to love her man. Burgin yields the mic for the next two pleasers and turns to harp as Boyd delivers “I’m Playing Straight,” the assertion that his intentions are honest as he hits on a woman. Then it’s Gordon’s turn for the uptempo blazer, “Older and Wiser,” which announces the singer’s no longer falling for the jive from her man that used to drive her crazy.
“I Was Right for the First Time” follows with timeless appeal as Johnny states that, for the first time in his life, he was right to kick his woman out the door. Unfortunately, he comes to the realization after he’s welcomed her back into his home. A cover of Boyd’s “Vacation from the Blues” before closes with “Never Tried to Get Ahead,” a sweet number that asserts he’s always tried to be his own man in whatever he might do.
If you crave a heaping helping of Chicago blues by someone who really knows what he’s doing, you’ll love this one. It’s all that and more!
