On January 25, 2003, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Johnnie Johnson—the
man Rolling Stone called “the greatest sideman in rock and roll” for his
groundbreaking piano work with Chuck Berry—stepped on stage at Houston,
Texas’ Reliant Stadium. He joined his hosts, The Rolling Stones, for a rousing
rendition of Honky Tonk Women. After hanging out all night with Keith
Richards, Johnson got on a plane and flew to Kentucky. There he reunited
with his good friends, Grammy-winning Southern blues-rockers The Kentucky
Headhunters (brothers Richard and Fred Young, Greg Martin, Doug Phelps
and Anthony Kenney). The plan was to have Johnnie lay down some piano
for the band’s upcoming release, Soul. But the vibe was too strong and the
music too good, so the tapes just kept rolling. With songs and arrangements
furiously being created on the spot and everything recorded live as it happened
over the course of three days, a magical musical event was underway.
Because the whole session was spontaneous, there were no immediate plans
to release an album. After Johnnie’s death in 2005, the tapes, while never
forgotten, remained unissued. The performances, which can now be heard on
Meet Me In Bluesland, found Johnson playing some of the deepest and most
rocking blues piano of his legendary career. With The Kentucky Headhunters
at their down-home best, the record is a country-fried, blues-infused party
from start to finish. The album grooves from the raunchy rock of Stumblin’ to
the slide-fueled Superman Blues to the roof-raising version of Little Queenie
to the salacious She’s Got To Have It (the last vocal Johnson ever recorded).
“The minute Johnnie sat down with us, the music was a kind of ecstasy,” says
guitarist/vocalist Richard Young. “Johnnie made us play like real men,” adds
guitarist/vocalist Greg Martin. “Playing with him, the groove got bigger and much
more grown up.” Drummer Fred Young explains, “We all admired Johnnie from the
start. The first time we played with him was the first time I ever felt like we were
doing it right. The music we made on Meet Me In Bluesland is as good as it gets.”