Monday, September 11, 2006

Lonnie Johnson- There Is No Justice



















There is no music.

I haven’t immersed myself in Bob Dylan’s new Modern Times yet. But my initial reaction to a few of its songs was to think that Dylan was deliberately conjuring the sound and feel of Lonnie Johnson. It’s quite possible that Dylan’s always been emulating the great blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. On this 1932 recording, Johnson exhibits clever wordplay, social commentary and phrasing that should sound immediately familiar to Dylan’s fans. And just like Dylan, Johnson kept playing for decades. This video at YouTube probably dates from the mid-‘60s. Good call, Bob.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The beauty of the clip is almost overwhelming. Bob must have been shaken to his very core!