Jr. Johnny’s Home Page

 

“Bohemian Records” presents Jr. Johnny; endorsed by Hohner Harmonicas.

“A Harp and Guitar Explosion”!!!

“Jr. Johnny has been cited as one of “the world’s finest blues players, yesterday and today.”
HarmonicaLinks.com

Junior Johnny blows into town with his My Radio CD!
New York, NY– January, 2016; My Radio, the fifteenth album from journeyman blues harmonica player, songwriter and vocalist Junior Johnny. The brand new disc includes ten soulful original compositions and some of the best examples yet of Johnny’s virtuoso toned blues harp.

Click the link or the picture below to go to the page for Jr. Johnny’s My Radio CD

My Radio Front Cover

Play the entire song One Soul (not a sound bite) from the My Radio CD.

FOR SALE “Briefcase Full o’ Blues”

Johnny's Case   Case Sold New Case

Imagine your harmonicas embedded in gold crushed velvet.
This antique suitcase is set up for 13 diatonic harps as well as
One 12 hole chromatic and one 16 hole chromatic harmonica.
I use the center hole for my antique Hohner pitch pipe.
Storage underneath for your mics, cords, and CD’s.
Open this suitcase and WOW!!!

The case above has been sold, but contact Johnny
to order a similar harmonica case.
Email Jr. Johnny at:
jruzich@brighthouse.com

So how did Jr. Johnny, the New York City bred grandson of polka playing Bohemian gypsies, end up devoting his life to Chicago-style blues? Like his playing, Junior Johnny’s answer is both delightfully tempestuous and effortlessly profound. “When I heard Muddy Waters, I just freaked out!” he exclaims. After honing his craft in several early ’60s teenage garage bands (actually “apartment bands,” the neighbor-annoying NYC equivalent), Johnny was drafted and served as a combat MP in Vietnam. When his tour of duty ended, he moved to San Francisco and was soon making a name for himself with now-legendary blues men like Mike Bloomfield and Jimmy Witherspoon. Subsequently, Junior got his dream gig performing alongside the man who would christen him “Jr. Johnny”: the great John Lee Hooker. “Hooker said he wanted me to have a nickname and just gave me one on the spot,” Junior explains. “It stuck.”

When the twin responsibilities of family and higher education forced him to give up life on the road, Junior Johnny began a series of wildly divergent professions that later gave him grist for his highly descriptive songwriting. “I’ve been everything from a union carpenter to a winemaster, “he says, “but I just wanna be out there playing!” Junior is currently busy promoting his My Radio CD while readying material for his next release, due out January, 2017. As of this date, Junior has written 200 original songs, and his latest albums are linked in below.

Jr. Johnny at Studio 101, Melbourne, Florida

bluline
Unraveler CD
Unraveler CD
(More Info)
Extreme CD
Extreme
(More Info)

Jr. Johnny Blues Reviews

  • “Over the course of his carrer, vocalist, harmonica player and songwriter Jr. Johnny has performed with such artists as Mike Bloomfield, Jimmy Witherspoon, and John Lee Hooker, the latter of whom gifted him with his stage name. The New York Native’s 15th release My Radio consists of ten original songs. All are credited to Johnny except the lyrics of Love Me Different and Reach the Sky which were written by Jacqueline Silvestri.
    Johnny’s gritty, conversational vocals and laid-back playing from his bandmates — guitarists Peter Corrigan and Denny Dwyer, keyboardist Tony Perrino, bassist Stephen Minnich and drumer Joe Rocco — evoke a casual, corner bar atmosphere. His harmonica tone is round and warm, and some of his best licks can be heard on the driving title track, the revved-up Oh, Yes She Does, the wistful One Soul and the moody Reach the Sky.”
    Melanie Young, Living Blues Magazine.
  • Jr.Johnny does it again with what he calls his best release to date. Vocally, he captures the mood of each of these originals, while his harmonica soars and pierces the blues then reaches back and cuddles it. For harp lovers all over the world, this should be considered essential listening. Students of the instrument would be well-advised to pay attention to these tracks too.
    PayPlay.fm
  • 5star Updated old-timey blues. Sounds as if it’s been around for awhile…but fresh at the same time. Love that gravely voice!
    Hideeho wrote on January 10, 2009
  • “Special thanks to Jacqueline Silvestri”
Print Friendly, PDF & Email