| Artist |
Song |
Album |
Label |
Comments |
| Lonnie Johnson |
Rambler's Blues |
Lonnie Johnson Complete Recorded Works 1937 to June 1947 Vol 2 (1940-1942) |
Document |
rec 13 Feb 1942 Lonnie Johnson vcl, g; Blind John Davis p; Andrew Harris b. B.B. King named this his "desert island record" |
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Today's show is a Black History Month tribute to blues legend Lonnie Johnson! |
| Lonnie Johnson |
Mr. Johnson's Blues |
Lonnie Johnson Vol. 1 |
Document |
11/4/1925 Lonnie Johnson vcl, g; John Arnold p |
| Lonnie Johnson |
The Entire Family Was Musicians |
The Complete Folkways Recordings |
Folkways |
1967 interview with Moses Asch |
| Lonnie Johnson & Steady Roll Johnson |
Johnson's Trio Stomp |
Lonnie Johnson Vol. 1 (1925-1926) |
Document |
1/20/1926 Lonnie Johnson violin; Steady Roll Johnson piano |
| Lonnie Johnson & Steady Roll Johnson |
There's No Use of Lovin' |
Lonnie Johnson Vol. 1 (1925-1926) |
Document |
8/13/1926 Steady Roll Johnson vcl; Lonnie Johnson piano |
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| Lonnie Johnson |
Woke Up With the Blues In My Fingers |
Lonnie Johnson Vol. 2 (1926-1927) |
Document |
5/1/1927 LJ solo guitar |
| Lonnie Johnson |
Roaming Rambler Blues |
Lonnie Johnson Vol. 2 (1926-1927) |
Document |
8/12/1927 LJ vcl, g. We heard another version of this song at the start of the show; Johnson often reworked and rerecorded songs multiple times |
| Lonnie Johnson |
Away Down in the Alley Blues |
Lonnie Johnson Vol. 3 (1927-1928) |
Document |
2/21/1928 LJ g |
| Lonnie Johnson |
Playing With the Strings |
Lonnie Johnson Vol. 3 (1927-1928) |
Document |
2/21/1928 same date as "Away Down in the Alley Blues." LJ g. on a personal note this is my favorite Lonnie Johnson recording from this era |
| Lonnie Johnson |
Broken Levee Blues |
Lonnie Johnson Vol. 4 (1928-1929) |
Document |
3/13/1928 LJ vcl, g. He is singing about the 1927 Mississippi River flood and specifically about the Mississippi Delta Levee Camps, where displaced people were forced to work on rebuilding the levees, in intolerable conditions and against their will. Google "Mississippi Delta Levee Camps" for more information |
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| Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five v/ Louis Armstrong & Lil Hardin Armstrong |
Savoy Blues |
"Satchmo" Ambassador of Jazz |
Verve |
12/13/1927 Louis Armstrong (cornet/vocals), Kid Ory (trombone), Johnny Dodds (clarinet), Lil Hardin Armstrong (piano), Johnny St. Cyr (banjo), and special guest Lonnie Johnson (guitar) |
| Duke Ellington & His Orchestra v/ Ivie Anderson |
The Mooche |
The Duke: The Columbia Years |
Columbia |
10/1/1928 |
| Lonnie Johnson & Eddie Lang |
Have To Change Keys To Play These Blues |
CLassic Columbia & OKeh Joe Venuti & Eddie Lang Sessions |
Mosaic |
11/17/1928 LJ g; EL g. Johnson is the lead guitarist |
| Lonnie Johnson & Eddie Lang |
A Handful of Riffs |
Lang & Venuti: NY Sessions 1926-1935 |
JSP |
5/1/1929 LJ g; EL g. Again Johnson is the lead, Lang provides the rhythm |
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| Clara Smith and Tommy Jordan (Lonnie Johnson) |
You're Getting Old On Your Job |
Lonnie Johnson Vol. 6 (1930-1931) |
Document |
10/31/1930 Smith vcl; LJ vcl, g. Johnson made many "rude blues" recordings, sometimes singing and sometimes backing another blues singer. This is a duet where he does both |
| Lonnie Johnson |
Uncle Ned, Don't Use Your Head |
Lonnie Johnson Vol. 7 (1931-1932) |
Document |
12/3/1931 LJ vcl, g. The song is a reworking of "You Rascal You" which was written a year or so before |
| Lonnie Johnson |
Hard Times Ain't Gone No Where |
Lonnie Johnson Complete Recorded Works 1937 to June 1947 Vol 1 (1937-1940) |
Document |
11/8/1937 LJ vcl, g |
| Lonnie Johnson |
New Falling Rain Blues |
Lonnie Johnson Complete Recorded Works 1937 to June 1947 Vol 1 (1937-1940) |
Document |
3/31/1938 LJ vcl, g; Roosevelt Sykes p. |
| Lonnie Johnson |
Get Yourself Together |
Lonnie Johnson Complete Recorded Works 1937 to June 1947 Vol 2 (1940-1942) |
Document |
5/22/1940 LJ vcl, g |
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| Lonnie Johnson |
More Rhythm |
Lonnie Johnson Complete Recorded Works 1937 to June 1947 Vol 2 (1940-1942) |
Document |
1/6/1941 LJ vcl, g; Andrew Harris b |
| Lonnie Johnson Trio |
In Love Again |
Lonnie Johnson Complete Recorded Works 1937 to June 1947 Vol 2 (1940-1942) |
Document |
2/7/1941 LJ vcl, g; Lil Armstrong p; Andrew Harris b |
| Lonnie Johnson |
Jelly Roll Baker |
The Very Best Of |
Goldenlane Records |
12/1947 (exact date unknown) Lonnie Johnson vcl, g; Allen Smith p; Monte Morrison b. This recording was a major influence on Buddy Holly |
| Lonnie Johnson |
Tomorrow Night |
Old King Gold Volume 3 |
King Records |
12/10/1947 Lonnie Johnson vcl, g; Simeon Hatch p, Paul Parks b, Nelson Burton d. Elvis Presley's first recording was this song and he lifted Johnson's performance note for note |
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| Lonnie Johnson |
Backwater Blues |
The Very Best Of |
Goldenlane Records |
8/13/1948 LJ vcl, g. |
| Lonnie Johnson |
Don't Ever Love |
Blues by Lonnie Johnson |
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3/8/1960 LJ vcl, g. Hal Singer ts, Claude Hopkins p, Wendell Marshall b, Bobby Donaldson d |
| Lonnie Johnson |
Summertime |
Losing Game |
Prestige |
12/28/1960 LJ vcl, g |
| Lonnie Johnson |
New Orleans Blues |
Blues, Ballads and Jumpin' Jazz, Vol 2 |
Analogue |
12/28/1960 LJ vcl, g. dialogue w/ Elmer Snowdon |
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| Lonnie Johnson |
Too Late to Cry |
American Folk Blues Festival |
Fontana |
1963 LJ vcl, g live performance |
| Lonnie Johnson |
C.C. Rider |
American Folk Blues Festival |
Fontana |
1963 LJ vcl, g live performance |
| Lonnie Johnson |
Swingin' The Blues |
Swingin' The Blues |
XTRA |
1966 LJ g. Recorded just 3 years before the car accident that cut his life short |
