Hill Country Blues/Richard Johnston Styl

Subject: RE: Hill Country Blues/Richard Johnston Styl
From: GUEST,Lucy
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 07:47 AM

Richard makes you want to get up and move. He's not mainstream and that's what's most appealing about him. He's also a great guy, approachable and down to earth.

Subject: RE: Hill Country Blues/Richard Johnston Styl
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Aug 08 - 06:16 PM

I met him on beale street yesterday. Hell of a nice guy . He plays the street. Powerful stuff this guy plays

Subject: RE: Hill Country Blues/Richard Johnston Styl
From: Tweed
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 12:47 PM

AhHaaH! That's why then;~) The thing is that you guys keep that good stuff to yourselves down there and the mainstream public never gets hold of it unless trolls like me stick links on a major music board!! One of these days I'm gonna get to Mississippi and see for myself how that music comes outta the delta and hill country area. I live in south Florida and get out to Belle Glade now and then. The earth is rich black muck that grows cane and sweet corn pretty good. The people out there don't have a whole lot and work their asses off but there's not much music in the area. Must be somethin' in the water up your way that makes it happen. I never got to see Mr. Booker White play, except on a video. What was that like? A fellow called Pogo met him in Michigan one time. Pogo got a good photo of him and wrote this article about the big man.

Subject: RE: Hill Country Blues/Richard Johnston Styl
From: GUEST,truckerdave
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 11:42 AM

As far as styles go, if any of you ever saw or heard Booker White play, he reminds me of Booker more than anyone else. Regret i never got to go up to Junior Kimbrough's joint before it burned. Some friends and i were going to go up there but never made it. It was only 50 miles away from where i live. Gotta give the boy credit, he sounds better than some "blues recording artists" i've heard and it's good to hear someone keeping the old music alive. It's just that i'm not hearing anything incredibly new here with my Mississippi ears.

Subject: RE: Hill Country Blues/Richard Johnston Styl
From: bernil
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 10:45 AM

Tweed, I really like both Richard Johnston's music and what I've heard so far of your badly recorded blues! In fact it doesn't sound bad at all to me, but very nice! In "Things Gonna Be Alright..." I heard a dog barking, but I don't know if that's so bad... It sounds kind of homelike and cosy... ;-)

I'm very much into blues now and Richard Johnston has a style that's new to me, very exciting!

Berit in Sweden

Subject: RE: Hill Country Blues/Richard Johnston Styl
From: Tweed
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 09:52 AM

It ain't the notes and purty pickin' that makes him good, it's the rhythms he yanks outta that double broomstick diddly bow. When I looked around the room at the live show, all I saw were people intently watchin' this guy work and they all had these giant grins stuck on their faces. People forgot to drink their drinks, they just sat there pumpin' their legs and grinnin' at each other. He's about as close to the real deal as a white boy can get. I wrote a revue of the night HERE(clik). He ain't yer mainstream everyday picker and puts on a hell of a good show.

Subject: RE: Hill Country Blues/Richard Johnston Styl
From: GUEST,truckerdave
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 04:24 AM

Well, he does have a better voice than most white guys trying to play blues. I didn't think the playing was anything special but then again i play slide guitar and write songs pretty well myself so i suppose i could be judging everyone by my standards. All in all he's not too bad but it sure is hard to make it when you're a white guy playing blues. Why ain't you up on Beale Street playing if you're so good, smart ass white boy, you ask. Cause it's a might poor living.

Subject: Hill Country Blues/Richard Johnston Styl
From: Tweed
Date: 01 Mar 02 - 07:20 AM

I saw Richard Johnston down at the Bamboo Room in Lake Worth, Florida a while back and his one man band show was such a fine experience to watch happen that I've become a fan and supporter. He plays a double broomstick amplified diddly bow and a drum kit at the same time and will wreck a room with the rhythms that come pourin' out. If some of you who've only heard that pretty sounding Piedmont style of picking have never ventured further into the interior, go to his site and check out the clips from the cd he's just come out with. You will hear what happens to a young white guy who's hung out with Junior Kimbrough and Jesse Mae Hemphill and been able to absorb the most primal sort of blues and juke joint style of playing and entertaining. I'd think he'll be up for a Handy Award next year. Check him out, he's gonna be somebody I do believe.

Richard Johnston the Foothill Stomper