Nothing pleases guitar wizard Johnny A. more than simply being deemed a “master musician.” This seemingly generic description accurately communicates the essence of Johnny A.’s playing, because the man is someone who truly loves all genres and idioms.

“I’m not trying to come off sounding politically correct here,” he said. “But I get just as big a thrill out of hearing Albert Lee and Jeff Beck as I do Wes Montgomery and Jim Hall or Chet Atkins and Les Paul. My music isn’t necessarily jazz or blues or country or rock ‘n’ roll, but all those things are a part of it. For me, it starts with a great song. That’s where I really get inspired, hearing a great song and then working off it.”

Guitarists and fans around the world have been impressed with Johnny A.’s great talents. He is among the elite group of guitarists that have had a Signature Edition guitar designed by Gibson’s Custom Shop per their specific request (others on that list include Pat Martino, B.B. King, Joe Perry, Montgomery and Atkins). His prior releases Get Inside and Sometime Tuesday Morning also easily skirt categorization, with examples of relentless jazz-fusion cuts, brisk country pieces, surging and slow blues, and frenetic rock numbers, all of them delivered in a flawless fashion that makes it seem almost too easy. The compositions and solo mastery represent a stylistic evolution that dates back to his teen years, when he embraced the guitar after being wowed by seeing the Beatles at Suffolk Downs in 1966.

Currently featured on an instructional guitar DVD and now working on a live CD/DVD, Johnny A. is essentially a self-taught player. He did spend a semester and a half at the Berklee School of Music during the ‘70s, but cites that as a period that showed him the flaws of taking a rigid attitude toward playing.

“They wanted me to play bop and at the time had a very restrictive curriculum,” he said. “I wanted to be out playing as a professional and wasn’t that interested in just sticking with theory. Now I partly regret having dropped out because it would be nice to be more well schooled in some of the theoretical aspects, but the great thing about that is that I learned my own style and developed my own sound.”

Ron Wynn
March 22, 2006

Tone Quest Report- The Players Guide to Ultimate Tone

Johnny is the cover story in the September 2005 issue of Tone Quest Report- The Players Guide to Ultimate Tone. Click here for the full story...


Johnny A.
Southgate House
Newport, Kentucky
November 11, 2005

Pairing two iconoclastic guitarists proved to be a masterstroke on November 11 at Newport, Kentucky’s Southgate House. Johnny A. and headliner Sonny Landreth share a passion for the blues and pushing the limits of the guitar.

Johnny A., former sideman for J. Geils Band front man Peter Wolf, has created such range on the instrument that Gibson created a special model just for him. His performance leaned heavily on material from his 2004 release, Get Inside. A towering, echo laden reverberation shook the Southgate as he leaned back to search for the elusive notes on “Hip Bone.” Johnny Rivers’ “Poor Side of Town” found Johnny A. lightly fingering the fret board as drummer Chris Farr added featherlike accompaniment, extending the standard into a dreamlike canvas of rich musical crescendos. Bassist Jesse Bastos rhythmic funk spiced up the reworked Hendrix number, “The Wind Cries Mary.” Spending the majority of the performance seated on a stool, Johnny A.’s alluring sound drew the audience in as they marveled at the Boston area phenomenon tearing through the power riffs of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.”

Two distinctive and very different approaches to guitar mastery made for a rewarding experience at Newport Kentucky’s Southgate House on November 11. –Bill Whiting

Johnny A. Canal Street Tavern
Dayton, Ohio March, 21st, 2005

It's the third time in four years that Boston guitar phenom Johnny A. has visited Dayton's Canal Street Tavern and finally this weekend's gig resulted in the type of turnout this exceptional guitarist deserves. The full-house was treated to a myriad of stylings and musical emotions that only Johnny A. can deliver. Playing a beautiful trans-black quilt top Johnny A. signature Gibson guitar through his trademark 30th Anniversary Marshall combos, the sound was simply perfect and the playing was stellar. John ripped through classics from his highly praised first solo album "Sometime Tuesday Morning" such as "Two Wheeled Horse" and "Oh Yeah" demonstrating his skills as a rock guitarist extraordinaire.

Recognize the "rock guitarist label" for what it is as this guy can't be pigeon-holed quite so easily. Johnny A. reeks of diversity in his musical styling and his ability to switch genre gears is unequalled. From his tune "Tex Critter", a tribute to guitarist Chet Atkins, to covering Chuck Berry's "Memphis", his musical geography lesson appeals to nearly all persuasions. His original compositions are musically sophisticated and his ability to translate his CD catalog's high quality sound through his live show is masterful. The tunes on his newest release "Get Inside" provide an edgier, street savvy feel presented by an artist who's working hard and paying serious dues to get his music to the masses.

His live presentation of his bluesy "Krea Gata" was filled with creative licks and had all the power and feeling of Led Zeppelin's "Since I've Been Loving You". His spin on Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary" was a creative and reverent tribute to someone Johnny A. regards as one of his "teachers". His soulful rendition of "Wichita Lineman" showcases just what can be done with and electric guitar in the hands of a virtuoso.

JA proved it's not all about speed and velocity. Bassist Jesse Bastos and Drummer Chris Farr enthusiastically provided the essential bottom end for Johnny A. They provided an excellent lesson in attention to detail and timing as John often cut loose a barrage of guitar acrobatics improvising as he went, yet Bastos and Farr never missed a beat.

From sound quality, to musical skill, this is a guy who is destined to be recognized as one of the best players of all time. It's not surprising that this guy played Clapton's Crossroads Festival and has worked with legends like B.B. King and Jeff Beck. Visit www.johnnya.com for new and information about gigs and if you get the chance get out there and see this band live.

Chris Arnold
Guitar Digest


Dallas Observer CRITICS' PICKS
Johnny A. Thursday, December 2

Soft-speaking, Harley-riding guitarist Johnny A. grew up listening to Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix before cutting his teeth leading a short string of blues-rock bands. But the Bostonian bluesman really came of age in the early '90s as a member of J. Geils Band front man Peter Wolf's Houseparty 5. Everything he learned about supporting a song by knowing when to show off (and, more important, when not to) has been incorporated into his now elegant style. Get Inside, A.'s most recent solo album, is a blend of smooth rock, jazz and blues tied together by a sweet, low tone and a constant emphasis on melody. The combination makes for a respectful version of Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary," but, hell, with tone like that, A. even makes "Wichita Lineman" sound cool.

By Sander Wolf
Published: Thursday, December 2, 2004



Johnny A.
GET INSIDE
Favored Nations


musicemissions.com

It's been a while since we have seen an accomplished blues guitarist like Johnny A. Now, don't go expecting something like Stevie Ray Vaughan or Joe Satriani here. Johnny A could almost be considered AOR blues. And don't let that scare you away either because this musician deserves to be heard. Get Inside is a well put-together piece of work. It is blues, primarily but it is super accessible. Your mom will probably even like this stuff. All of the tracks on Get Inside were written by Johnny A except for "Poor Side Of Town", a smoking rendition of the Johnny River track, and "The Wind Cries Mary" of Jimi Hendrix origin. What guitar album would be complete without a Hendrix track? Johnny is fairly new in the solo artist field. He has released his debut, Sometime Tuesday Morning, to adoring fans and Get Inside is his long-awaited follow-up. It's a smoking album showcasing some very fine guitar playing. Johnny knows that it isn't how fast you play but the transition from note to note as well as the space between. This is an album that guitarists will totally enjoy, others should appreciate it too. There is a reason Steve Vai chose him to release an album on his label.

by Dennis Scanland
Review date: 2004-04-27


Johnny A./Gitarrist: Die Stimme als Stil - Gitarre & Bass
Gitarre & Bass Magazine Germany 05/2004

Der Mann ist bekannt wie ein bunter Hund: Steven Tyler, B.B. King, Neal Schon, Waddy Wachtel, Gilby Clarke, Albert King, Bill Wyman, Peter Wolf, Bonnie Raitt ³ mit vielen hat der Bostoner Gitarrist schon auf der B‡hne gestanden und dabei demonstriert, was er unter gef‡hlvoller Gitarrenarbeit versteht. Johnny A weiú, was er tut. Das zeigt er auch auf seinem neuen Album ,Get Inside‘. Um zwei Sachen macht der Mann mit der eigenwilligen Rasiertechnik ein Geheimnis: Um sein Alter und seinen Nachnamen. Griechische Vorfahren hat er, soviel r"umt Mr. A ein. In Massachusetts geboren und in Boston aufgewachsen, z"hlt er inzwischen zu den Lokalmatadoren der Ostk‡stenmetropole. Dort hat er sich einen hervorragenden Ruf als Sideman erspielt, u. a. f‡r Peter Wolf (J. Geils Band), dessen Bandleader er war. Mit ,Sometime Tuesday Morning‘ erf‡llte sich Johnny A 2000 den Traum vom Solo-Album. ãIch wollte endlich Credits f‡r eigene Songs bekommen", sagt er. ãAber da ein S"nger immer den Sound einer Band pr"gt, habe ich mich entschlossen, Instrumental-Songs zu schreiben. Denn ich will diesmal die Stimme sein, mit meiner Gitarre." Das zeigt er auch auf seinem neuen Album ,Get Inside‘. Wir haben die Einladung angenommen und Johnny A. ausf‡hrlich befragt ...

story Stefan Woldach



Guitar Ace Johnny A. Builds Home Studio
Mix Magazine

A home studio can be a blessing and a curse for a workaholic. Guitar virtuoso Johnny A.'s newish project room allows him to write and record on his own schedule, which typically begins at the crack of dawn and continues on and off into the night. Every recording situation has its pros and cons, Johnny A. says. The pros about doing recordings at home are that you can catch magic moments because you're in a totally relaxed state. The cons are that you have this stuff at your disposal all the time and you can get into a routine where you feel you're never finished.

However, Johnny A. doesn't seem to suffer from that endlessly-getting-sounds disease. He is as disciplined as he is talented, and has just released his second instrumental album, Get Inside, on Steve Vai's Favored Nations Entertainment label. Vai discovered Johnny A. when his previous album, Sometime Tuesday Morning, which Johnny A. self-released, became a surprise success in the Northeast. The first album was conceived in a relaxed atmosphere, in that I did not have a record deal at the time, he explains. I never thought I would get a record deal with what I was doing, and it was more like I had the opportunity to record and I wanted to celebrate my influences and not make any musical or audio compromises.

One thing led to another, and it became this regional thing that was very successful and very grass roots, selling close to 9,000 or 10,000 copies, he continues. And then it got picked up by Steve Vai and went international. In the back of your mind, you hope to be successful at anything you do, but I had no delusions of grandeur thinking that I would put this out and it would be the next Classical Gas, Mason Williams' million-selling instrumental record. In fact, the album and Johnny A.'s playing have been so widely admired that Gibson released a Johnny A. signature guitar, which received drooling raves in the December 2003 issue of Guitar Player magazine.

The success of Sometime Tuesday Morning allowed Johnny A. to acoustically improve his recording room, which is in the 10×15-foot attic space of the two-flat building that he owns. The studio began as a writing room, outfitted with a Roland VS-2480 workstation and KRK V8 monitors, but when he wanted to take the room to the next level, he contacted Auralex Acoustics for materials and design advice.

I called them and they ended up being fans, Johnny A. recalls. I guess the radio station where they are [WTTS in Indianapolis] played my music a lot, and we struck up a great friendship and they offered to design the room. They flew Rusty Sulzmann out here, and they did the whole studio the bass traps, the DST panels, the wedges, sunburst columns and it just sounds great. They also did a great job with all the mitered cuts that go into the dormered ceiling line and slanted wall line. The room is beautiful and comfortable.

Johnny A. recorded demos of all the new songs at home and then went to Boston Skyline studio to self-produce the drums, bass and guitar recordings, which were engineered by Dave Lefkowitz. Johnny A. recorded direct from his amplifier (a Marshall 6100 head) through a vintage Neve 1058 mic pre which he scored from his old friend Fletcher of Mercenary Audio and then straight into the back of the Studer A827 2-inch machine in the studio's A room. Then, all of the tracks were transferred to a Pro Tools|HD system; horns and Hammond organ parts were recorded directly to Pro Tools. He brought an identical Pro Tools system home, where he and engineer Bob Catalano edited and created premixes of the basic tracks and then recorded some percussion overdubs. Phil Greene and Johnny A. did the final mix in Pro Tools, making use of the SSL 4000E (with G computer) to a Studer A80 RC at Unique Recording in New York City. Johnny A. was also on hand for the final mastering by Scott Hull at Hit Factory Mastering.

Promotional touring has just begun for Get Inside, but Johnny A. is already excited about a third album. What I probably will decide to do is go into a really great studio and record the drums and immediately transfer them to whatever the digital greatness of the day is lease or buy one of those rigs and then do my guitars and everything else at home.

As far as audio goes, he continues, I'm a self-taught mixer and producer. I'm not a technician; it's all feel. I have a high expectation of things I like to listen to, and I put that same critical thinking into my own music.

By Barbara Schultz
Mix Magazine, Mar 1, 2004



Great Music from Great Musicians... Johnny A "Get Inside"
Eyez on Music - Reviews and Opinion myeyez.net
An effort to introduce great music and share the influence and inspiration of talented songwriters.


Get inside, put your seatbelt on, and enjoy the ride. You'll cruise by quaint country scenes, race a train skirting rolling hills and rustic mountains. You'll make it all the way to Nashville via gritty city streets past all the coolest jazz and rock clubs. That's where you'll go when you put "Get Inside", a slick offering from Johnny A, in your CD player.

As it states on his biography page at JohnnyA.com "This is music for an open mind aching for the open road."

What was that, did Mark Knopfler cameo on this CD? No, but there is an unmistakable, however subtle, Knopflerish quality to Johnny A's playing on some tracks. Still, Johnny A's playing is completely his own, incredibly versatile, refreshing and new, with plenty of smooth grooves and tricks to keep your ears busy. Johnny A. is one of the most talented guitarists I've ever heard.

Get Inside is a well produced collection of instrumental guitar tracks that conjure a variety of mental images. One thing that cannot be ignored about his playing is the incredibly clean picking and colorful phrasing. As a guitarist, there are moments in this CD that make me say, "How the heck did he do that?"

Excuse me while I go lock myself away with my guitar for another twenty years. Good, inspiring guitar playing for the inspirable guitar lover. Add it to your collection now!



Johnny A. Profile on MTV Germany
mtv.de

"Meine Aufgabe war, meine eigene Stimme zu finden. Ich hatte nie die M-glichkeit, mein Songwriting und mein Gitarrenspiel zusammen zu f‡gen und als eine Einheit zu gestalten. Ich wollte keinen Leads"nger, denn die Stimme des S"ngers ist die Stimme der Band. Diesmal wollte ich derjenige mit der Stimme sein," erkl"rt Johnny A die Entstehung seines ersten Soloalbums in einem Interview.

Als 1999 "Sometime Tuesday Morning" bei einem kleinen Independent-Label auf dem US-amerikanischen Markt erscheint, hat A bereits eine lange musikalische Karriere hinter sich. In Salem, Massachussetts geboren, tritt er Anfang der 80er Jahre mit unterschiedlichen Combos verst"rkt in der Bostoner Clubszene auf. Sehr erfolgreich ist er dabei nicht, doch verschafft ihm sein K-nnen Zugang zu Bands wie Aerosmith oder Huey Lewis & The News.

Einen Namen macht er sich als Studiomusiker vor allem in den 90er Jahren in der Band von Peter Wolf, dem S"nger der J. Geils Band. Die erste Zusammenarbeit, "Long Line" aus dem Jahre 1996, wird von A mitproduziert und erzielt unter Kritikern einen beachtlichen Erfolg. Der Gedanke zur Aufnahme einer Platte unter eigenem Namen entsteht w"hrend einer Tourpause. Das selbst produzierte, rein instrumentale Ergebnis heiút "Sometime Tuesday Morning" und besteht aus einer Mischung aus eigenem Material und Covern, die sich zwischen Blues und Rock'n'Roll in einer rauchig angejazzten Atmosph"re ansiedelt.

Die erstaunlich guten Verkaufszahlen (7000 Exemplare in Nordosten der USA) sowie die Nominierung f‡r das beste Deb‡talbum beim Boston Music Award wecken die Aufmerksamkeit des Gitarristen Steve Vai, der A Unterschlupf bei seinem Label Favored Nation bietet. So ist der weltweite Vertrieb gesichert, "Sometime Tuesday Morning" erscheint 2001 auch in Deutschland.

Weitaus professioneller gestaltet sich As Zweitling "Get Inside", der im April 2004 auf den Markt kommt. Zu seinem Begleitduo an Schlagzeug und Bass gesellen sich Saxophon und Hammond-Orgel, neben eigenen St‡cken interpretiert er auch Johnny Rivers "Poor Side Of time" und Jimi Hendrix' "The Wind Cries Mary".

"Erst jetzt verstehe ich die Wichtigkeit, L‡cken zu lassen und Noten weg zu nehmen ... Je reifer ein Gitarrist wird, desto mehr l"sst er sich von seinem Gef‡hl leiten," erkl"rt Ritchie Blackmore in einem Interview. Und beschreibt damit Qualit"ten, die Johnny A zweifellos besitzt.



Guitarist Johnny A., Getting Everybody's Licks In

Johnny A. has his own signature guitar -- a stylish Gibson equipped with tremolo bar -- and seemingly scores of signature guitar sounds at his fingertips. If he had trouble focusing on a particular style as a budding musician, the attention deficit is paying off handsomely now.

At the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis on Wednesday night, the Boston-bred virtuoso, who toured with singer Peter Wolf in the mid-'90s, casually set into motion a parade of champions. Seated on a stool and playing a colorful collection of original pieces and cover tunes in a trio setting, he affectionately saluted or slyly evoked Jimi Hendrix, Chet Atkins, Wes Montgomery, Chuck Berry, Duane Eddy and several other guitar icons without sounding overly derivative or tiresomely retro. "The Wind Cries Mary," for instance, cleverly combined Hendrix's patented use of an extended chord with a clipped funk beat, while "Tex Critter," a homage to Atkins, nimbly recalled the master's lighthearted and melodic touch.

Like many of his role models, Johnny A. is clearly more interested in establishing a mood than soloing, though he occasionally tore through some blues-rooted riffs. Imaginatively arranged ballads punctuated the show, with "Poor Side of Town" and "Wichita Lineman" creating atmospheric interludes. The guitarist, well versed in sophisticated harmonies and thumb-stroked octaves, also ventured into jazz territory with plenty of help from bassist Jesse Bastos and drummer Chris Farr.

The inevitable calls for an encore inspired a performance of "Memphis, Tennessee" that managed to pay tribute to Berry, Johnny Rivers and Bo Diddley in one fully entertaining swoop.

Mike Joyce
The Washington Post
April 22, 2005



Johnny A. to Rock Dayton

Boston-based songwriter/musician Johnny A. is one of those guitar heroes that music fans across the country can’t stop talking about.

Johnny A. is a seasoned guitarist who is in the same league as other guitar heavyweights such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Steve Lukather, Neal Schon and others. He performs at Dayton’s Canal Street Tavern Saturday night.

He started off this year jamming at an industry gig (at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Winter Trade Show) with some of the guitar world’s leading players, including Lukather (Toto), Albert Lee (Eric Clapton, Everly Brothers, Emmylou Harris), and John Petrucci (Dream Theatre) as he played onstage with the legendary James Burton (Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, The Shindogs) at Muriel Anderson’s All-Star Guitar Night in Anaheim, Calif.

Following that performance, he hit the road and toured the west coast in January.  He returned home and was invited to sit in with legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb at his recent show at Sculler’s Jazz Club in Cambridge, Mass. Webb wrote “Wichita Lineman,” one of the songs Johnny A covers on his 2000-01 solo debut “Sometime Tuesday Morning.”

Because of his years in the music business and vast amount of experience as a player, Johnny A. recognizes his own talent, but he’s pretty unassuming when asked about his playing skills. You won’t find him possessing the typical ego one might expect to come with the territory.

“Chasing the rock star dream, that’s not what it’s about for me.  It’s really about being able to do what I love doing,’’ said Johnny A. “My approach as a guitarist, as far as what I do instrumentally, I’m more interested in the songs. My guitar playing revolves around songwriting, song arranging and song production, as opposed to the songs being a forum for my guitar to solo. It’s not really about that (for me).  I’m more about delivering a song, more than I am delivering a shredding guitar solo.”

As a largely self-taught guitar player who initially played drums, Johnny A. has started several of his own bands like Hearts on Fire and Johnny A’s Hidden Secret, where he played lead guitar, sang, and wrote his own songs. He went on to support more established, big-name, touring musicians, as when he played for former J. Geils Band frontman Peter Wolf’s Houseparty 5 in the mid-1990s.

After his work with Wolf ended, Johnny A. decided to spend the majority of his time developing his own guitar voice and writing songs. He independently released “Sometime Tuesday Morning” on his own, selling more than 8,500 copies, before it caught the attention of Favored Nations Entertainment label head, Steve Vai.

Since then, “Sometime Tuesday Morning” has been re-released by Favored Nations. That album and his latest release, “Get Inside,” (2004, Favored Nations), showcase Johnny A.’s unique instrumental guitar voice and reflect his ability to consistently deliver well-crafted, inspiring songs.

Johnny A. admitted his guitar stylings reflect a variety of musical tastes, from Latin and jazz to blues, country and rock. 

“I’ve been influenced by a lot of different styles of music and a lot of different guitar players, everyone from Jimi Hendrix and George Harrison and Jeff Beck to Chet Atkins and Wes Montgomery,” he said. “My musicality and my musical taste has always been that diverse, I like my albums to be (just as) diverse. I like diversion, especially in instrumental music, because I think it is important to keep the audience inspired and excited, too. Instrumentally, it can sometimes be tough to do that, so I like to mix it up a lot.”

Citing personal career highlights, Johnny A. said that having his very own Gibson Signature Guitar is exciting.

“On one end of the spectrum, it was winning my first battle of the bands when I was 11 or 12 years old. But, another (more recent) personal accomplishment is being able to have a Gibson Signature Guitar and meeting some of my own heroes like Les Paul,” he said.

Johnny A. is touring extensively in support of “Get Inside,” and is gearing up to head to Pittsburgh to shoot his long-awaited instructional DVD for Warner Bros. Publications, which is scheduled to release in July. The DVD will consist of performance footage of Johnny A. with his band. In addition, he will be interviewed, explaining his approach to music, tone and gear, as well as demonstrating some of his unique signature guitar stylings.

Ginny McCabe
The Middletown Journal



Johnny A.
GET INSIDE
Favored Nations

Soft-speaking, Harley-riding guitarist Johnny A. grew up listening to Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix before cutting his teeth leading a short string of blues-rock bands. But the Bostonian bluesman really came of age in the early '90s as a member of J. Geils Band front man Peter Wolf's Houseparty 5. Everything he learned about supporting a song by knowing when to show off (and, more important, when not to) has been incorporated into his now elegant style. Get Inside, A.'s most recent solo album, is a blend of smooth rock, jazz and blues tied together by a sweet, low tone and a constant emphasis on melody. The combination makes for a respectful version of Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary," but, hell, with tone like that, A. even makes "Wichita Lineman" sound cool.

Sander Wolf
Dallas Observer
December 2, 2004



Johnny A.
GET INSIDE
Favored Nations

Former Peter Wolf guitarist Johnny A. has technique to spare, but as many of his peers can tell you, great chops and eight bucks will get you a new set of strings. What sets this picker apart are his taste and tastes -- two things that become increasingly evident as he smoothly glides back and forth across blues, jazz, country and rock borderlines on his second collection of instrumentals, "Get Inside.

Favoring a hollow-body electric guitar and supported by a solid five-piece band, he is a sucker for some classic sounds: bent-note blues and spaghetti western twang, jazz-inspired octave runs and hip modulations, finger-picked chords and flat-picked crescendos. Yet as diverse as the moods are here -- from the Chet Atkins-like "Bundle of Joy" to the CD's psychedelic-tinged title track -- the guitarist never sounds as if he's merely indulging stylistic whims. The original tunes are well crafted and often melodically alluring. What's more, two cover tunes easily rank among the highlights: a haunting reprise of the Johnny Rivers hit "Poor Side of Town" and a rhythmically realigned version of Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary," an imaginative take briefly tinted with fusion-era shades of Miles Davis.

It's also refreshing to find a blues-bred guitarist who isn't trying to sell himself as singer-songwriter. Content to be a tunesmith, Johnny A. lets his guitar speak for him with eloquence and spirit.

Mike Joyce
The Washington Post



Johnny A.
GET INSIDE
Favored Nations

Guitar heroes typically come in two varieties: Hot or cool. The hot ones are usually those techno-whizkids with flying fingers who cram six trillion notes into every bar (think Steve Vai). The cool ones tend to be older cats who play fewer notes with a lot more soul (think B.B. King). Somewhere between those extremes, you'll find Boston axeman and ex-Peter Wolf sideman Johnny A. And on his sophomore CD Get Inside, you'll find a dozen jazzy instrumentals that bridge the guitar-hero gap. On one hand, it's clear Johnny is a master player - his picking is clean and precise, his attack is crisp and pointed, and he has superb control over tone, sustain and vibrato. If we had to name names, we'd call him a cross between Jeff Beck, Chet Atkins and Walter Becker. But instead of showing off his skills, he uses them in service of his songs, eschewing pyrotechnic wankery for understated, burbling solos and brisk percussive chording. And he isn't afraid to put a unique stamp on an overdone chestnut like Hendrix's The Wind Cries Mary, which he revamps with a percolating funk-jazz vibe. Only time will tell if he'll become a true guitar hero. But right now, Johnny A. is a musician who resists easy categorization, and that's always cool by us.

Darryl Sterdan
London Free Press
Calgary Sun
April 24, 2004



Johnny A.
GET INSIDE
Favored Nations

When Johnny A.'s former boss Peter Wolf decided to stop touring in the late 90's, the electric guitarist honed his chops for a full year before recording his first solo release, Sometime Tuesday Morning (1999). the veteran guitarist's grasp of timbre and melody resulted in a shimmering, all-instrumental collection of pop tunes and heartfelt originals. This follow-up again showcases A.'s dexterity on a Gibson hollow-body equipped with a Bigsby vibrato bar.

On Get Inside, A. fashions similarly luxuriant tones, ringing chords, and bluesy licks. But this time, he also rocks with support from electric bass, drums, and occasional B-3, sax, or trumpet. Quivering tones and shifting tempos again color his music. And aside from Garret Savluk's muted trumpet solo on an upbeat version of Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary," A. provides the primary source of melody and improvisation.

Although capable of raising the roof (check out his screaming crescendo on "Krea Gata") the guitarist can caress a ballad or cry the blues. Few axemen since Danny Gatton would dare deliver a pop ballad ("Poor Side of Town"), a finger-snappin' shuffle ("Sing Singin'"), a melodic country picker ("Bundle of Joy"), a jazzed-up blues tune ("Krea Gata"). and a rockabilly rave-up ("Ignorance is Bliss") on the same album.

Johnny A. has eclectic musical vision and the skills to realize it. Whether you call his output contemporary jazz, instrumental blues, or instrumental rock, A.'s music is both accessible and sophisticated.

Ed Kopp
JAZZIZ
March '04



Johnny A.
GET INSIDE
Favored Nations


Not since Jeff Beck was in his prime time has a guitarist managed to tap into such a deep sense of melody, mood and virtuosity as Johnny A. has been locking into on his all-instrumental recordings.

A former axeman for Peter Wolf and Bobby Whitlock, among others, Johnny A. stepped out on his own with 1999's "Sometime Tuesday Morning," and he builds on the success of that set here. "Get Inside" is punctuated by the Boston-based guitarist's crisp playing, which shines brightly through tracks like the fluid and funky opener "Hip Bone," the mystical, slow-building beauty "Krea Gata," and a strikingly reworked, up-tempo run through Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary," which features a tasty trumpet solo courtesy of Garret Savluk.

But the album's most alluring cut is an exquisite version of Johnny Rivers' 1966 hit "Poor Side of Town." In much the same way he lifted Jimmy Webb's classic "Wichita Lineman" on his previous disc, Johnny A. colors "Poor Side of Town" with cascading guitar colors that prove captivating.

Kevin O'Hare
NEWHOUSE Wire Review, March 2004

Johnny A.
GET INSIDE
Favored Nations

From a speedy jazz reading of Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary" to a sweetly emotional take on Johnny Rivers' 1966 tune "Poor Side of Town," Johnny A.'s second instrumental album spans decades and styles. His richly textured originals embrace everything from space-age feedback ("Another Life") to SRV-via-Kenny Burrell sigh-and-slash (the bluesy "Krea Gata") and country pickin' ("Ignorance is Bliss"). Devotion to melodies, tight dynamics and succulent tones perfectly temper Johnny's balance of fire and ice.

Ted Drozdowski
Guitar World

Johnny A.
GET INSIDE
Favored Nations

Guitarist Johnny A. is proof that you don't have to be flashy to make a big statement. His 2000 instrumental debut Sometime Tuesday Morning , brought more attention to the Boston-club-scene veteran than he'd ever gotten as Peter
Wolf's longtime sideman. Inspired by a pantheon of '50s and '60s guitar deities -- Chet Atkins, Les Paul and Scotty Moore among them -- A. has both restraint and passion in his playing. "I let the guitar be the vocalist," he says by phone. "When I play, I deliver the melody like a singer. Only it's with my guitar." And what a guitar it is -- a hollow-bodied $5,000-plus electric that A. got to help design last year as his Gibson "Signature" Model.

His just-released sophomore effort, Get Inside, is more "in the street" in it's vibe than the first record, says A., but like it's predecessor, features his own gotta-have-soul compositions along with some well-chosen covers -- in this case, Johnny Rivers' "Poor Side Of Town" and an acid-jazz take on Jimi Hendix's "The Wind Cries Mary."

"I saw Hendrix when I was a kid and he blew me away," A. says "I'm not trying to compete with him with my version; I'm just trying to give back a little of what he gave me."

Nicole Pensiero
PHILADELPHIA citypaper
musicpicks 3.11.04

Johnny A.
GET INSIDE
Favored Nations

Local guitarist Johnny A.'s second release for Steve Vai's boutique label is
a wonderfully vivid set of 12 instrumentals, which demonstrate A.'s versatility and style. He moves from late night to jump blues to country-inflected grooves to lovely balladeering to straight-up rock without missing a beat. Each song informs and punctuates another and A.'s playing is crisp, precise, and extremely eloquent throughout. Unlike so many of his peers, the guitarist understands that the space between notes speaks as loudly as a blizzard run down the fretboard. He underplays when necessary and ratchets it up when there's a call for fireworks, but there's not an ostentatious lead anywhere in the 50 minutes of music. There are magical moments including the lyrical, lilting ''Poor Side of Town'' and the bluesy ''Krea Gata.'' That song arrives like a quiet sunrise, then ascends and explodes into colors before dissolving into silence. Johnny A. writes all of the songs except for two covers, including Jimi Hendrix's ''The Wind Cries Mary,'' which the guitarist richly reimagines. He's helped ably by a top-notch ensemble propelled by the steady Ron Stewart on drums and Ken Clark on B3 organ. A delightful listen.

Ken Capobianco
Boston Globe
2.21.04

Johnny A.
GET INSIDE
Favored Nations


Get Inside is guitarist Johnny A.'s second solo effort, appearing after nearly four years of touring and performing in support of the promising, effortlessly professional, 2001 effort Sometime Tuesday Morning. Inside is an album of tasteful instrumentals, tinged with the various styles A. has absorbed as a veteran sideman. Bold opener "Hip Bone" features Latin-flecked percussion, and A.'s impossibly clean tone; rich in atmosphere and detail, it could be an instrumental take on Los Lobos. It's just an appetizer -- the guitarist handled his own production, and throughout Get Inside he proves to be as smooth behind the mixing board as he is on the fret board. A.'s reverb-drenched licks on the bluesy Johnny Rivers' gem "Poor Side of Town" just completely melt out of the speakers, while his drier tones on the title track expertly control the grit meter. "Bundle of Joy" is exactly what you'd expect, and "Ignorance Is Bliss" backs up that bouncy sentiment with Little Feat-inspired playing and a driving rhythm. It's hard to pick the best track here, but there are a couple of strong candidates at its center. The seemingly mild-mannered "Krea Gata" goes absolutely ballistic in its midsection, A.'s guitar shrieking madly as his blues solo utterly loses its mind, and "Wind Cries Mary" becomes a jaunty trip through pauses filled with splotches of sunlight. Garret Savluk's jazzy trumpet solo is a great touch. The palpable energy in these tracks makes the album's dreary cover art an odd choice. Don't let Johnny A.'s sourpuss cover shot fool you — despite its well-placed moments of introspection or melancholy, Get Inside is a comforting place to be.

Johnny Loftus
allmusic.com Feb 24, 2004

Johnny A.
GET INSIDE
Favored Nations


Next to the bachelor-pad jazz and R&B of his debut disc, this Mr. A. offering is comparatively more rockin'. Though the central attractions of his playing are his crisp tone and lyrical, song-serving melodies, this time out there's less minimalism and more of an inclination towards notey flights of fancy. These excursions -- the fiery Latin-jazz licks ("Hip Bone"), country-fried chord solos and bends ("Ignorance Is Bliss"), the Montgomery-style octaves ("Krea Gata") -- show off the extent of his capabilities as a lead player.

MOMENT OF TRUTH: "Another Life" (1:46-2:47)

Sounding almost like a countrified Hendrix, Johnny pulls off a fusion of airy chord extensions, arpegios, and single-note swirls.

Bob Keelaghan
Guitar One April 2004

Johnny A.
GET INSIDE
Favored Nations

Johnny A. is a story worth retelling. He may have been the solo guitar player you saw in Cambridge, MA at a midweek House of Blues show. He might have been the experimental guitar you heard open for James "Blood" Ulmer somewhere. He might have sold you his CD "Sometime Tuesday Morning" out of his car's trunk as he toured the country to support the record. Once the national distribution deal was struck, Johnny submitted to that grinding schedule. But that was four years ago.

Since then, Johnny turned inward and discovered the joy of musical border
bending. Throughout his dozen instrumentals, Johnny tells stories of joy and pain through his guitar. There's a lush warmth to Johnny Rivers' "Poor Side Of Town." Johnny's reverberating tone breathes new life into this gem from the past. His funky up tempo take on the other non-original, Jimi's "The Wind Cries Mary," bookends the song with Garrett Savluk's trumpet solo mid-song.

Johnny A.'s originals cover all the bases. There's the 0 to 60 rockabilly tonk of "Ignorance Is Blis," which comes straight from Sun Studios and the Latin jazz rhythms of the CD's first song, "Hip Bone." By the middle of the recording, Johnny's guitar erases the straight lines on the jazz and blues charts with "Sing Singin'" and "Get Inside."

Through the heavy Wes Montgomery reverb of "Krea Gata," Johnny's guitar takes the internal and gives them a depth and emotion no fan can avoid. Like an out of control flash flood, his electronic looping and experimentation on "Stimulation" flows into a fluent impressionistic rainbow. The album closes with "Another Life," Johnny's astral guitar musings.

This is an essential recording for any serious guitarist who needs directions off the mainstream musical road.

Art Tipaldi
Metronome
March '04

Johnny A.
GET INSIDE
Favored Nations

Music: Some guitar players are like lumberjacks. They go straight at the music with axes swinging and chainsaws roaring and keep chopping until the tunes come down. Former Peter Wolf guitar slinger Johnny A. is more of a watch repairman. When he covers a tune, like Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary," he takes it completely apart, cleans every pin and gear, and puts it back together so it's like a whole new timepiece. His own blues tunes use surprising bridges, key changes, and time signatures.

Drumming: Ron Stewart sits on top of the 2 and 4 like a Nashville cat on songs like "Ignorance Is Bliss," but he also lays behind with funky backbeats on tunes such as "Hip Bone." The album's clean straight-ahead recording also makes the tubs sound like drums.

The Verdict: Johnny A. is destined for a wider audience.

DRUM!
VOL.13, #1
February/March '04

Johnny A.
GET INSIDE
Favored Nations

Subtle and incredibly groove-laden, Johnny A. is- to be as cliché as possible- a poet when it comes to his blues/jazz guitar mastery.

Likened best to some of Stevie Ray Vaughan's best jazz-inspired classical pieces, Johnny A. blends big band, country, rockabilly and swing into this fresh, crisp style that seems like it should only be appreciated by people frequenting snooty downtown clubs.

But somehow his slick style carries over into a street sensibility that has flair at just the right moments. From the swank drive of "I Had To Laugh"
through to the melancholy yet gritty undertone of "Sing Singin'," this is a must-have for anyone with even the slightest inclination towards mature music with a touch of attitude ...with music this intelligent and well-produced, let's put it this way: now your swingers party has the right music to greet the guests. You'll seem stylish and naughty at the same time.

Keith Carman
March 5, 2004

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