PROFILING:  LITTLE JOHNNY – ONE BIG BLUESMAN

 Last month, I reviewed a bunch of great blues websites that reflect the diversity of the Midwest BEAT blues community.  I was remiss, though, in that I didn’t include one very hardworking local bluesman in that list, JOHNNY MOORE.  He goes by the name of LITTLE JOHNNY, and his combo is called THE UNKNOWN BLUES BAND.    

            His new CD, "Workingman Blues," is one of the highlights in my blues year thus far, and shortly before this month’s dash to the deadline, I  rang him up to talk about his new record and his approach to the blues.

             "Workingman’s Blues" features nine songs that range from swing and sax-influenced blues, boogie-woogie, to traditional, post war Chicago blues.  Guitarist MIKEY KRAEGER  contributed two cuts as a writer, while the rest are all Little Johnny originals.  There’s a loose, live sound to this disc that’s refreshing: no overdubs or overproduction: just clean, straight ahead, driving blues.   

            “This record is as close to seeing us live as you’re going to get,” said Little Johnny.  “I wanted to put out a record that sounds like our live show and this is it.”  

            “Our shows are a lot of fun,” he continued.  “We mix things up all the time.  I’ve got a great sax player.  It’s the sexiest instrument alive.  We don’t have the same sound all the time.  We can start off by playing a sax-driven number, then switch to a harmonica song by LITTLE WALTER, and then I’ll trade my harmonica for my guitar for a guitar-driven sound.  That’s three very distinct sounds and we sound just like three different bands.”   

            Little Johnny’s a late bloomer to the blues.  As he described his musical apprenticeship to me over the phone, I was pleased to know that there is still hope for a non-musician like me who still harbors secret fantasies about one day putting on dark glasses, a tipped fedora and stepping on stage at a place like Buddy Guy’s Legends or Kingston Mines and igniting the audience into a frenzy!    

            Ahhh...but I digress.  Back to Little Johnny Moore. 

 A TRADITIONAL BLUES APPRENTICESHIP...

             “I had no formal musical training, but I have been a student of the blues game for a long, long time.  I used to see players like LEFTY DIZZ at the JUST ANGELS club in Harvey, Illinois.  That was a really great blues club.  I grew up with JIM ANDERSON of THE CHICAGO KINGSNAKES.  He went on to play the blues, but I stopped to raise my children.  I also was in a couple of garage bands high school and played in the SUNHOUSE BLUES BAND for a few years.” 

            “After a long break, I turned around and realized I was 36 years old and still had the dream.  So I picked up a harmonica and started to blow. Six months later, I picked up the guitar.”

             Largely self-taught, Little Johnny Moore is earning his blues credentials and paying his blues dues the hard way.  He’s playing over 200 gigs a year across Chicagoland and Northwestern Indiana.  Even when he’s not headlining at places like Rodney’s in Highland, Bottom’s Up in Lansing or Remington Blues in Bolingbrook, he’s still honing his blues chops in front of a live audience.

             “When I’m not playing, I’m actually playing,” he said.  “That may not make sense, but I’ll usually find a place to jam and sit in with friends like EAT A PEACH or SHUDDUP & DRIVE.  There are so many great places to play, and it’s a pretty small community.  On any given night, I can find a great place to play.  On Monday, I usually hit Club Oasis in Chicago Heights, and whenever I can, I try to play with friends like BILLY KING.”  

            There seems to be no limit to Moore’s driving passion for the blues.  He’ll play down the street or downstate for five or five hundred.  Johnny’s vehicle of choice is his Harley-Davidson. He said he finds ideas for his original songs best when he’s tooling down a long stretch of road on his bike with the wind in his hair.   

            Last month, Billy King and Little Johnny created some exciting impromptu blues at a jam session in rural Demotte, Indiana, 75 miles South of Chicago.

             “This jam night was really, really cool,” said Johnny.  “Billy King did the vocals and I played harmonica.  MIKE GIBB and TOMMY GURNEY played guitar and AL JOSEPH played the violin.  These guys are all professionals and it sounded great.” 

            Mike Gibb’s name rang a bell.  Apart from his work at Teresa’s landmark blues nightclub or with his own band, THE HOMEWRECKERS, Mike was with the SON SEALS BLUES BAND, and played live on the 1980 Alligator CD, "Blues Deluxe."  He’s also sat in with Chicago blues diva LIZ MANDVILLE GREESON on her Earwig CD, "Ready To Cheat."  Tommy and Al are part of COUNTRY ROADS, a great country outfit that’s often seen at events sponsored by Chicago’s country radio station US99.  

            Little Johnny’s blues influences range from Junior Wells, Little Walter, Billy Branch, Kim Wilson, and Rod Piazza to Texas guitar slinger Mike Morgan & The Crawl.  Not a bad blues menu in my book.  

            This month, Little Johnny will continue to play his own brand of blues around Chicagoland.  Every Wednesday, he hosts Wednesday Jam Nights at Tom's Place in Sauk Village.  For a listing of Little Johnny dates, check out his ad at the bottom of this page and stay updated by surfing over to: 

 http://littlejohnny1.com

NEXT MONTH:  I’ll bring out my crystal ball as I predict some of the W.C. Handy Awards.    Until then, let’s play the blues.

Back to Top

Web Design By:
6 String Design

 6 String Design © 2003