Steve Johnson’s new album “Leaving New York” is a soulful blues album that features his virtuosic blues playing. Johnson is a leading musician in the blues world, and this album showcases some of his best work. In this Spotlight interview Steve talks about his new release, guitars, being on the road and motorcycles. Steve is a world class player and down to earth soul. Read about his Blues in a Brave New World.
300guitars: What is your musical education and experience?
Steve Johnson: E…… Education? Read every book about musicians that did cool stuff. I have every Guitar Player mag until editor Jim Crockett left in the 80’s. I buy every record I like and learn the tune. Buy every guitar, amp, or pedal that I saw that had a unique sound. Go see every guitar player that I could who played something that I couldn’t. It’s like a big puzzle and you never have all the pieces. I still go to jams every week and check out other players, gear, guitars, etc. It never ends. The more you know, the more you don’t.
300guitars: Who were your earliest influences and later influences?
Steve Johnson: Beatles, Kenny Burrell (my Mom bought me “Introducing KennyBurrell” for my 13th birthday. I still listen to that record). Wes Montgomery, Hendrix, Duane Allman, Johnny Winter, Albert Collins, Howlin’ Wolf, Sam Meyers, John Fogerty, Jeff Beck, Albert King, Earl Hooker, Freddie Roulette. Paul Desmond, Jaco, Robben Ford, Ed Bickert. Billy Gibbons,And lately: Same guys!
300guitars: Tell us about your current band.
Steve Johnson: It’s the same band I’ve had for over 15 years. Cliff McComas on drums and vox, Mark Pavlica on Bass and vox. Sometimes we have a our Senior Citizen Bluesman Harry Fritz on harp. If Mark and Cliff can’t make the gig we do it another time. It’s too much fun playing, so we don’t like to do a half-ass job and mess it up or sound bad.
300guitars: Tell us about your new album coming out.
Steve Johnson: It’s an experiment. I have no idea what will happen. ACM Records is releasing it in April. It’s called “Leaving New York” and can be purchased from emusic.com. They are great and have helped me out tons with tune placement in TV, Movie, and International Online song placement. It’s all a bit strange to me though, as now you can buy an album ONLINE, download the tunes to your home computer, print out the text/info sheet on your printer, and pay ONLINE. I’m not sure how I will get paid, what the sound quality will be, how copying will be controlled, and how record companies are going to exist, if at all. It’s a brave new world. The album is basically a “Best Of” album. All these tunes were recorded over the last 10 years, same players with some guest artists, and all recording was done by the MASTER, Oliver Strauss at Mission Sound in NYC. It’s a strong collection, lots of guitar, and fun tunes.
300guitars.com: Where did you record the tracks for “Leaving New York” and what is your process?
Steve Johnson: Everything was done at Mission Sound in NYC, and Mastered at the Hit Factory by Scott Hull. We record the old way. Rehearse in my home studio and play the tunes out LIVE as much as possible. When we get to the studio on day 1 we do all rhythm tracks LIVE as a trio with a scratch vocal. I play the rhythm part through the solos. Day 2: I do all the vocals and any special guitar or other instrument parts. Day 3: I do guitar solos and mix.
300guitars: What gear did you use for the album? (guitars, pedals, amps,etc)
Steve Johnson:Lots of guitars: ’61 Strat, Firebird I, ’66 Gibson 335, Gibson, Leo’s Les Paul Sunburst, ’84 Gibson black Korina V, ’31 National Triolian, National Val Pro, a HONDO Chiquita for the “G” slide stuff. My normal board stuff: TS-808, DS-1, Lanik Wah, Univibe, Leslie 147 and a Leslie Horn top. I always record with a ’59 Fender Tweed Super in a Premier cab with 2 Vox speakers. This amp is so easy to record with. Turn it on, put any mic in front of it and roll the tape…….. or ProTools. I use all this same gear when I gig except I usually take a Super Reverb because although the Tweed Super is the greatest tone, it doesn’t have enough volume for stage. And I don’t want to cook those speakers. All the Super Reverbs are modded for me by you, Billy Penn. I have 4 or 5 here 1 in NJ and one on California.
300guitars: What mic techniques were used? (different rooms, angles, etc)
Steve Johnson: I use a couple of Nuemann 56s in front or Shepps (they are basically the same mic), a 414 in back, 57 somewhere that sounds good, and a couple of big Nuemanns as room mics. We have tried some weirdo mics too, it just depends on what Oliver Strauss had laying around. We did a Vocal track with a BIG Tube mic that I had never seen before that was a left over from an earlier session. It worked so well we had to rent it for ours. The cool thing about room miking with a LIVE rhythm track is that there are NO phase issues in the mix. I also leave all my amps in the same place when I track solos. So there aren’t any issues between the rhythm and solo tracks. Mixing goes so fast when you record this way.
300guitars: How does your studio rig differ from your live rig?
Steve Johnson: It’s the same gear. The only difference is I get to play rhythm with Cliff and Mark behind my solos.
300guitars: What gear do you take when you tour?
Steve Johnson: Same stuff, and the modded Super Reverbs. I leave one in California and a few here. For over seas I take a Super Reverb HEAD ( a Bandmaster Reverb HEAD box I think) and have the Tour line up a 4×10 Marshall or a 4×12 Marshall for a speaker cab. One time in France they gave me a 8×10 Marshall. But they wouldn’t sell it to me……rats…..
300guitars: Tell us about the issue of Guitar Player Magazine that you were in.
Steve Johnson: The Guitar Player deal was in 1994, a long time ago. It was a thing called, “Ultimate Guitar Competition”. I had to send in an original recording. The judges, Ry Cooder and David Lindley are the 2 that I remember, picked who they liked. There were a bunch of categories: Blues, ( which I won), jazz, rock, folk, etc. It was fun. They sent me a new Marshall Bluesbreaker combo and a PRS bolt on neck guitar. I sold both immediately. The amp unfortunately sounded nothing like a Marshall and the PRS neck was so skinny and flat that I could not play it. It would not stay in tune anyway. I called PRS and asked if I could get a bigger neck and he said “NO”. But I did get hooked with Virgin France because of the article so it worked very well for me.
300guitars: Were there any gigs or sessions over the years that stand out in your mind for very good or very bad reasons?
Steve Johnson: The only bad gigs I can remember are the ones where some fool came in with a gun or big knife and ruined the whole night. I have been really lucky and had way too many GREAT gigs. Either some cool guitar player comes in and plays with us all night or we just happen fire on all cylinders. Or somehow you stumble onto a really cool idea in the middle of a solo. The musical discoveries are absolutely the best part of this ball of confusion. The gear, the gigs, the money, the recording, the travel,……….. it’s all a means to playing music that means something to you. And the playing is by far the best part. That’s why it takes all day, and all your energy just to get to the gig and then it’s like you hit the first note and in a blink you just hit the last cord of the last song. And now it’s time to pack up and head off into tomorrow and do it again. Being in the middle of a tune on hot Summer night when there’s a big pocket with lots of energy and feel, and for a few minutes the musical planets are all in line…. there’s nothing like it. It’s better than any drug, or girl or car or any amount of money. It’s the only place where everything is cool. And that’s why everybody gets out there plays. They are all try get there as often as possible. The hard part is trying to stay there.
300guitars: I hear you are big into motorcycles. What kinds do you own and what are your favorites?
Steve Johnson: Bikes are like guitars and amps to me. They are all so different, yet just as interesting. It’s mainly the motors that interest me. So I choose bikes on that basis. I have usually between 5-10 bikes at any one time. Right now I have a1978 HD FLH Police Special, 1965 HD XLCH, 1947 Indian Chief, 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado, 1976 Goldwing GL 1000, 1965 Panhead, 1969 BSA A-65, 1978 Goldwing GL1000 and a 1974 BMW R90/6. The main thing when I buy a bike is that it does NOT run. They are a lot cheaper that way and much more fun to own because you have to work on them. The XLCH I bough in pieces after getting just the motor. Also it’s more fun to build the bike the way you think it should look.
300guitars: Have you ever played with any legendary artists?
Steve Johnson: My favs: Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, Jaco, Paul Butterfield, Poppa Chubby, John Paris, Dave Fields, Nikki Armstrong, Rob Knoll, Paul Schaeffer, Bill Perry, Billy Goodman, Brophy Dale, Mike Eldred, Bobby Hunt, Bernard Davis, Michael Hill, Nick Perri, Mo Thomas, Leslie West, Peter Young,….. there’s a ton, and most of them are or were friends so it’s always special.
300guitars: Is there any gear you don’t have that you want?
Steve Johnson: I have enough gear. I just want to get musically better as a player. I really want to sell off some stuff. Except for the small custom builders no one has made anything amp wise in years that sounds any good. All the new Fender, Marshall, Vox stuff isn’t any where close to what the old stuff was. The old gear is so rich in harmonic content, it’s sensitive to the tones of your guitar and where your volume and tone knobs are dialed in, and the components and speakers are so inferior to the ’50’s and ’60’s stuff. That’s why Silver and Blue VOX speakers from JMI cost $400. USED!!! I realize it’s an economic issue. They have to make money to stay in business, but I wish there was a way to even meet half way. I go to a Guitar Center or Sam Ash and there are plenty of great deals on guitars, but amps are not pleasant to listen to. The sounds are so shrill and harsh. The best guitar in the world through a crappy amp just sounds like a crappy guitar. Each link in the chain is equally important.
300guitars: Who are your tech’s?
Steve Johnson: I do my own guitar stuff, but the amp stuff is too sensitive and has to be worthy for the road. I just can’t kill those Supers, and my Super lead 100 will never die. So all is well. THANKS Billy. I love those amps. Mike at Analogman does the pedals when they cook. I have a backup for everything so I send him the sick ones.
300guitars: What does your tour schedule look like for this year?
Steve Johnson: Billy Goodman is talking about maybe a trip to Germany. With the dollar doing so bad travel is a little difficult to Europe. Definitely a few West Coast trips, and a bunch of roadhouses around New York for the Summer. I love it here when it’s warm. But I got to get a regular WINTER tour planned for January and February to a warm location every year. Anyone got a roadhouse in Tucson?
300guitars: What are your future musical plans?
Steve Johnson: More of the same. Make music, play music, record music, and have as much fun with as many friends as possible. In the end that’s what it is really all about.You should come jam at one of our places. There’s a lot going on in North New Jersey right now. I could play every night. And every one is so good. Maybe when your kids go away to college?
300guitars: Maybe I will show up at one. The problem is I have 300 guitars and can’t decide which one to bring! LOL! Thanks for the interview Steve and good luck with the new CD!
Steve Johnson: Thanks Billy, and THANKS for all the amp and tech help over the years.
Other essential listening: Steve Johnson: Bluestoons.