Johnny A. is featured on Thank You Les: A Tribute To Les Paul, an album and documentary which won the Tribute Album category as well as the Long Form Video Category. Co-produced by long-time Les Paul Trio sideman, Lou Pallo, Thank You Les also features Keith Richards, Steve Miller, Slash, Jose Feliciano, Billy Gibbons and Bucky Pizzarelli in addition to Johnny.
Loudon Wainwright III also joined the nominated Rosebud artists this year for his track, "The Panic Is On", on Occupy This Album which was nominated in the Compilation Album Category. Occupy This Album, a 4-disc set with music from over 50 artists, features greats such as Yoko Ono, Warren Haynes, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Graham Nash, and Willie Nelson in addition to Loudon.
The Independent Music Awards are determined by influential industry judges as well as music fans. Click here Please visit independentmusicawards.com for a complete list of all of this year's winners and nominees.
To Catch Johnny A., Loudon Wainwright III, and Trombone Shorty Live, See Tour Dates >>
MAY 2013: Johnny A. Ranked #6 In The Top 20 Bands In Boston Right Now By The Alternate Root, Plus Jamming With Jeff Beck At Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp
Johnny A. was ranked #6 in The Top 20 Bands In Boston Right Now by The Alternate Root. In the list, The Alternate Root stated, "Johnny A. is in a class that includes only a few names but when those names are Les Paul, Chet Atkins, Jeff Beck, B.B. King and Wes Montgomery, well, that's a good class to be in... He's a master of intonation, melody and technique and with Les Paul and Chet Atkins gone, probably the best "soul" for the instrument that's around today." Check out the complete list at thealternateroot.com.
Johnny also recently had the chance to perform on stage with guitar icon Jeff Beck. The two performed together at Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp held November 7 - 11, 2012 in Las Vegas. In addition to Johnny, the camp also featured performances from rock stars including Brian Wilson, Warren Haynes, Jack Bruce of Cream, and John Popper of Blues Traveler.
Johnny is currently finishing up a brand new studio album so look for that coming soon.
NOVEMBER 2012: Johnny A. Nominated In 2012 Boston Music Awards For Blues Artist Of The Year And Ranked Among Top 12 Guitar Players You Must See Live
Johnny A. has been nominated as Blues Artist of the Year in the 2012 Boston Music Awards. Johnny A. won this category in 2010 and was nominated for the same award in 2011. Voting is currently open to the public at bostonmusicawards25.com, at this writing until November 19, 2012 at 11:59 P.M. The Boston Music Awards is celebrating twenty-five years of bringing together the music community of New England. Their goals are to honor the region's best performers, raise money for music charities and to help guarantee that New England's stages and studios are filled with talent for years to come. The awards ceremony will be held at The Liberty Hotel in Boston on December 2, 2012, and its performance lineup, featuring some of the region's most impressive established and emerging talent across various genres, will be announced at Redstar Union on November 7, 2012.
Johnny A. was also recently ranked #3 on Hardrock Haven's Top 12 Guitar Players You Must See Live which described him as "one of the finest, most musical guitar players you'll ever have the pleasure of experiencing ...a true bonafide tone-monster with compositions that drip with emotion." Hardrock Haven, a premier online magazine for fans of Hard Rock, Classic Rock and Metal since 2002, ranked Johnny among legendary performers including Eric Clapton, Zakk Wylde, Slash and Jeff Beck. To see the complete list check out hardrockhaven.net.
OCTOBER 2012: Johnny A. Featured on Les Paul Tribute Record and Documentary; Johnny A. Signature Guitar Makes Top Ten List of Blues Guitars; Set To Teach At Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp
Johnny A. is featured on Thank You Les, an album and feature-length documentary in tribute to the great Les Paul (available now). Co-produced by long-time Les Paul Trio sideman, Lou Pallo, the work aims to preserve "Les' spirit through a collection of jazz and blues standards adored by Les himself." Johnny joins a host of musical icons including Keith Richards, Steve Miller, Slash, Jose Feliciano, Billy Gibbons and Bucky Pizzarelli, that gathered to pay homage to the creator of the solid body electric guitar and recording innovator. On the record, Johnny is featured playing the classic and last song performed live by Les Paul before his death in 2009, "Sweet Georgia Brown."
The Gibson Custom Johnny A. Signature Electric Guitar was recently ranked in the Top Ten Blues Guitarists Guitars by Empire Guitars. Among the others listed were B.B. King's Lucille, Albert King's Flying V, Stevie Ray Vaughan's Signature Stratocaster, Buddy Guy's Stratocaster, Muddy Waters' Telecaster, Warren Haynes' Les Paul and Jack White's Airline. Since Johnny's collaboration with Gibson in 2003 to create the unique model, it has become one of the company's most popular signature series guitars ever.
Johnny A. will also be a Rock Star Counselor at the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp held November 7 - 11, 2012 in Las Vegas that will also feature rock and blues legends Warren Haynes, Jack Bruce of Cream, and John Popper of Blues Traveler, among others. For info on learning from the greats like Johnny, check out rockcamp.com.
FEBRUARY 2012: Johnny A. Full Live Set Airing on German TV February 20
Johnny A.'s full live set from last Fall's 32nd Leverkusen Jazz Festival in Germany will be broadcast February 20th on WDR German television's long running Rockpalast show. Also featured on the festival broadcast are sets by Popa Chubby, Andy McKee and Walter Trout. Johnny's set includes "Red House," "Oh Yeah," "The Wind Cries Mary," "Tex Critter," "Krea Gata," "Two Wheel Horse," "Get Inside" and "Jimi Jam."
Premier Guitar magazine noted that "Johnny A. has quickly joined the rarified ranks of players like Jeff Beck, Bill Friselland Carlos Santana, as far as being recognizable from the first note. He has created a unique voice... Johnny A.'s magic crosses over... he doesn't just play guitar - he plays music."
Rockpalast (Rock Palace) is a German music television show that started in 1974, covering a wide variety of genres. Past guests have included The Who, David Bowie and R.E.M. among many others.
Johnny recently completed a West Coast Tour and will be playing upcoming dates in the Northeast, please see Tour Dates >>
NOVEMBER 2011: Johnny A. and Duke Robillard Nominated for Boston Music Awards' 2011 Blues
Artist of The Year
Rosebud artists Johnny A. and Duke Robillard were both nominated for 2011 Blues Artist of the Year by the Boston Music Awards. Johnny A. won this category in last year's awards. Now in its 24th year, the Boston Music Awards brings together the music community of New England to honor its best and brightest performers while raising funds to benefit the Music Drives Us Foundation.
Known as sideman to artists such as Bobby Whitlock and J. Geils frontman Peter Wolf, Johnny has shared stages with B.B. King, Les Paul, Jeff Beck, JJ Cale, Etta James, Dr. John, and Eric Johnson among others and has performed at such prestigious festivals as Eric Clapton's Crossroads and the Montreal Jazz Festival. Johnny A.'s rendition of "Walk Away Renee" (originally by The Left Banke) was selected by Gibson Guitars as the #4 Greatest Valentine's Day Instrumental. The song concludes Johnny's latest live double disc DVD/CD set, One November Night.
Duke Robillard's latest CD, Low Down and Tore Up, just spent several weeks in the #1 spot on Roots Music Report's TOP 50 Blues Chart. Duke's most recent album, Passport to the Blues, was nominated for the 2011 Blues Music Award for Traditional Blues Album of the Year. Duke is also a four-time Best Blues Guitarist Winner at the Blues Music Awards (and a nominee in this category again in 2011) and a two-time GRAMMY Award Nominee. His past collaborations include Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Maria Muldaur, Dr. John, andJohn Hammond among others.
MARCH 2011: Johnny A.'s Version of "Walk Away Renee" is #4 on Gibson Guitars' 10 Greatest Valentine's Day Instrumentals and Johnny A. To Be Featured in Boston Legends All Star Concert on March 18th
Johnny A.'s rendition of "Walk Away Renee" (originally by The Left Banke) was selected by Gibson Guitars as the #4 Greatest Valentine's Day Instrumental. The song concludes Johnny's latest DVD, One November Night, and is performed solo, filmed outdoors against the backdrop of a New England sunset. "This performance, which squeezes every drop of emotion from the song's melody, is as entirely romantic as all that sounds," Gibson notes on their website. Johnny is a Gibson signature model artist. Gibson Custom first introduced the Johnny A. Signature Model in 2003 and it has since become one of the company's most successful and popular models. Also included on the Gibson Greatest Valentine's Day Instrumentals are tracks by Jeff Beck, Allman Brothers Band, John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola and Wes Montgomery, among others.
Recently honored as the 2010 Boston Music Awards' Blues Artist of the Year, Johnny is now set to be featured performing as part of the Boston Legends All Star Concert at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH on March 18, 2011(more dates added). He will be playing alongside a lineup of musicians which include guitarist J. Geils, bass player Danny Klein and Magic Dick of the J. Geils Band, Barry Goudreau formerly of the band Boston and Joe Pett and Charlie Farren from the Joe Perry Project among many others.
DECEMBER 2010: Johnny A. Wins Blues Artist of the Year at 2010 Boston Music Awards
Johnny A. has been honored with the award for Blues Artist of the Year at the 2010 Boston Music Awards. The Boston Music Awards were founded in 1987 to bring together the music community of New England to honor its best and brightest performers while raising money for music charities. Proceeds from the 2010 Awards benefit Music Drives Us, a non-profit that provides funding for music education programs, supplies musical instruments for schools, sponsors music therapy programs and more.
Johnny's latest release is One November Night, a DVD/CD set recorded live at Scullers in Boston, his hometown. Johnny says of the show: "the music and the audience and the night were beautiful. Everyone and everything in the room came together to make it an extremely special experience." Check out Johnny live on stage, please see Tour Dates >>
APRIL 2010: Johnny A. Featured On New Jimmy Webb CD
Johnny A. is featured guitarist on a new recording of the Jimmy Webb classic, "Galveston" on Webb's new CD, Just Across The River, to be released June 29, 2010. Joining Johnny on "Galveston" is fellow special guest Lucinda Williams. Other collaborators on the special project include Jackson Browne, Glen Campbell, Vince Gill, Billy Joel, Mark Knopfler, Michael McDonald, Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt and J.D. Souther among others. Jimmy Webb is the only artist to receive GRAMMY Awards for music, lyrics, and orchestration. He wrote five top ten hits within a 20-month period in the 1960s, which propelled him to international fame.
Johnny A. recently released his live performance DVD / CD: One November Night, recorded at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston, MA. Johnny says of the show: "the music and the audience and the night were beautiful. Everyone and everything in the room came together to make it an extremely special experience." See Johnny live on stage, please see Tour Dates >>
JANUARY 2010: Johnny A.'s One November Night DVD/CD To Be Released March 9, 2010
Johnny A. will release One November Night on March 9, 2010, a DVD/CD set recorded live at Scullers in his hometown of Boston, MA. Johnny says of the Recording, "the music and the audience and the night were beautiful. Everyone and everything in the room came together to make it an extremely special experience. For me, One November Night is a special way to end the chapter of my career that [the albums] Sometime Tuesday Morning and Get Inside represent." Those albums helped me establish my identity as an instrumental artist after decades leading rock and pop bands, and as a sideman for Peter Wolf, Bobby Whitlock, and others," Johnny explains. They also earned Johnny invitations to share the stage with B.B. King, Les Paul, George Thorogood, Jeff Beck andJJ Cale, among others. He's performed at such prestigious festivals as Eric Clapton's Crossroads, the Montreal Jazz Festival, and Tokyo's Fuji Rock Festival. Johnny will be playing dates in the Northeast in the coming months with additional national dates to come, please see Tour Dates >>
MAY 2009: Johnny A. Custom Gibson Guitar Named An Iconic Guitar
After being honored with his own guitar model by the Gibson Custom Shop, Johnny A.'s Signature Model is now featured as one of the top Five Iconic Guitars and "sweetest rides" in the Gibson Shop, along with Signature B.B. King and Les Paul models. The Custom Shop designs Gibson guitars to the players' exact specifications. Gibson Custom first introduced the Johnny A. Signature Model in 2003, and it's become one of the company's most successful and popular models. The Johnny A. with Bigsby Tremolo has a fully hollow body, an ebony-fretboard equipped neck and the sides and back are a single carved piece of mahogany, topped by solid maple. For more details, visit the Gibson shop.
Johnny A.
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