1 (edited by BansheeUK 2017-12-05 05:18:50)

Topic: Eric Johanson

I don't know if this is the first mention of this young Louisianan (?) on the forum, but after listening to a copy of his debut album Burn It Down, I think he's deserving of a thread.

Produced and drummed by Tab Benoit and bass from Corey Duplechin, Eric has puled of a very strong opening album, mostly originals blending Rock with some very tasty “swamp” slide guitar and a cover of Chuck Berry’s Oh Louisiana which shows he’s not half bad as a singer too. opener, Burn It Down builds from a lazy, swampy, slide riff and builds to something as majestic as a stand of Tupelo trees. The second track, She’s In Control shows a different, funkier, “N’Orleans” side to Eric, Hitting a dirtier groove comes Bang Against The Wall, with a spitting, buzzing edge to the guitar. On a slower, more ponderous, almost dirge-like Graveyard Queen rolls in, great slowhand solos with fantastic note bending. Building the pace back up, 4 In The Morning comes by, again, spitting and buzzin’. Live Oak slows things down again, but that slow, resonant almost “twangin” style is at the fore. Till We Bleed has almost a Black Sabbath riff and The Fugitive has a tribal vibe running through it, Koasati or Choctaw? After the hymn like tribute to the home state, the funky button is hit again for So Cold and continues to rock out through On My Own..

Can’t really fault anything on this album; O.K. so Eric may not have the fastest fingers, but Wow, the way he can hold and bend notes makes his solos a joy. Really impressed too by the fact that [unlike another debut earlier this year on Mascot] Eric isn’t swamped (pardon the pun) by his mentor Tab Benoit; you get more the feel that they’re feeding off each other, think it’s Tab’s best collaboration since Whiskey Store. So evocative of bayou country there’s Spanish moss hanging from my light fittings and can anyone suggest how to get snapping turtles out from under the coffee table?



Till We Bleed - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SBbJ8hRcGQ
Graveyard Queen - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV2nXJhVi_U

Don't miss the "A" out the middle of the surname, and if you're near any of the below shows, might be worth a look in:-


Friday, December 8 @ 7:00 PM
Eric Johanson @ Kalamazoo State Theatre
  Kalamazoo State Theatre, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 


Saturday, December 9 @ 7:00 PM
Eric Johanson w/ Tab Benoit @ Taft Theatre
  Taft Theatre, Cincinnati, OH 45202-3398 


Sunday, December 10 @ 7:00 PM
Eric Johanson w/ Tab Benoit @ Beachland Ballroom
  Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH 44110 


Tuesday, December 12 @ 7:00 PM
Eric Johanson w/Tab Benoit @ Callahan's
  Callahan's , Auburn Hills, MI 48326 


Thursday, December 14 @ 7:00 PM
Eric Johanson w/ Tab Benoit @ The Castle Theatre
  The Castle Theatre, Bloomington, IL 61701 


Friday, December 15 @ 7:00 PM
Eric Johanson w/ Tab Benoit @ Route 20
  Route 20, Sturtevant, WI 53177 


Saturday, December 16 @ 7:00 PM
Eric Johanson w/ Tab Benoit @ City Winery Chicago
  City Winery, Chicago, IL 60607 


Saturday, January 6, 2018 @ 2:00 PM
Eric Johanson
  Louisiana Music Factory, New Orleans, LA 70116 


Saturday, January 20, 2018 @ 7:00 PM
Eric Johanson w/ Tab Benoit @ Dosey Doe
  Dosey Doe, The Woodlands, TX 77380 


Sunday, February 4, 2018 @ 7:00 PM — Sunday, February 11, 2018 @ 7:00 PM
Eric Johanson - Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise
Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, Departing Ft. Lauderdale 


Friday, February 23, 2018 @ 7:00 PM
Eric Johanson w/ Tab Benoit @ Route 92
  Route 92, Youngsville, LA 70592 


Saturday, February 24, 2018 @ 7:00 PM
Eric Johanson w/ Tab Benoit @ House Of Blues
HOB New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70130

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: Eric Johanson

Had a word that Eric is very interested in putting some UK dates together in the near future; give you local venues/promoters a nudge. As they say in Hartlepool, "he's good gravy" or should that be "gumbo"?

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

3 (edited by BansheeUK 2019-04-29 09:08:48)

Re: Eric Johanson

So, following on from one of my favourite albums of 2017, Eric Johanson has teamed up with New Orleans jazz singer, and also family member Tiffany Pollack for a new album Blues In My Blood; under the banner of Tiffany Pollack & Eric Johanson, as befits any Southern gentleman….

There is a long tradition of vocal duos in country and folk music, with groups like Little Hurricane; Shovels & Rope or rocking it up like our own Buck & Evans continuing to see success and popularity with the formula. Tiffany Pollack, an acclaimed New Orleans jazz singer, and first cousin Eric Johanson (performing courtesy of Whiskey Bayou Records), former lead guitarist for Cyril Neville, have teamed up to bring that winning tactic to the blues and roots world on their new album “Blues In My Blood.” Eleven tracks of original and select standards showcase the depth of each one’s talent with a new collaboration that is fresh and natural. The Louisiana natives, who each have been building a strong career, and after years of the cousins’ mothers pushing for them to work together, the duo project has come to fruition for a very personal family project in celebration of the blues. And the result is the best Louisianan combination since red beans & rice.

Opener and title track ‘Blues In My Blood’ sets the stage for the passion play, recorded and produced in New Orleans by multi Award-winner Jack Miele at The Music Shed Studios. The storming Southern Gothic blues pean recants Pollack’s life story and her journey to discover the true origin of her musical gifts and a desperate longing that haunts her soul. The mournful tone of Johnny Sansone’s harmonica echoes the heartfelt vocal this time from Johanson on the lover’s lament ‘Memories To Forget.’ He then shows of his formidable slide guitar skills on the southern fried funk burner ‘Keep It Simple,’ sparing with Pollack’s scorching vocals. Life experience often makes for profound art as exemplified in the sorrowful tribute to a fallen soldier ‘Michael,’ delivered form the unique prospective of the undertaker, a role Pollack played while working in the mortuary business. Her vocals weave a spell on us that is only broken when the 504 Horns join the Jazz Funeral Procession in the New Orleans’ first-line tradition. The duo joins together on the chorus of the politically charged blues rocker ‘Diamonds On the Crown,’ followed by a lovely reading of a deep cut from The Rolling Stones’ album “Beggars Banquet,” the lilting country ballad ‘No Expectations.’

Pollack then bravely steps into the shoes of Nina Simone, paying tribute to the jazz legend by digging deep into the 1967 classic ‘Do I Move You?’ with sultry finesse. The introspective ‘Slave Of Tomorrow’ is a heady dish of southern jam rock and the gently swinging blues ‘Get Lost With Me’ has a classic Memphis style that features a heart-aching solo from Johanson. Pollack soars on the cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘River,’ (from 1971's Blue album)  staying true to the original, while adding just enough of her own fire to put her mark on the masterpiece. The album’s finale is a gospel-fueled reinvention of the freedom song ‘If I had A Hammer.’ , far removed from Trini Lopez’ 60s hit version. The duo trade verses and slow the tempo to allow in-depth focus on each phrase and emphasize the importance and truth in the lyrics written by Pete Seeger in 1949 in support of the progressive movement.

This inspirational duo of Tiffany Pollack and Eric Johanson bring an indie, roots-based approach to the blues, both honouring and expanding the traditions they learned growing up in Louisiana. Their powerful song writing is a gift that flows from the undeniable blues in their blood and transcends their shared genetics. their two styles are skillfully combined with the lightest touch in production keeping the sound light, crisp but punchy. This is the sort of album you don’t realise how good it is, until you find you’ve been playing it all night.

Gotta be a 90-5%er

Blues In My Blood (live) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf_9PS03Dck

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

4 (edited by BansheeUK 2020-02-11 03:33:12)

Re: Eric Johanson

Heading back to the studio with Luther & Cody Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars.

Later this month I'll be hitting the studio for my second record to be released under my own name, this time produced by Luther Dickinson, also featuring Cody Dickinson on drums.  I've been a big fan of these guys for quite some time, and it's an honor to be recording with them at their Zebra Ranch studios in Mississippi.  Stay tuned for updates from the studio.

First Tab Benoit, now Luther & Cody - this guy's got a great address book.....

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: Eric Johanson

Eric's new album, Below Sea Level is available for pre-order now via Bandcamp. Release date - 18th Sept.

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

6 (edited by BansheeUK 2020-09-30 09:16:08)

Re: Eric Johanson

Eric Johanson - Below Sea Level (2020)

So it’s a no-brainer that 2020 is going to effect all of us, but in different ways and that’s going to be even more apparent on those folks who are creative and expressive. What a way time then for Eric Johanson’s solo debut album on the NOLA label, working along with Luther & Cody Dickinson at the famed Zebra Ranch Studios in North Mississippi Hill Country, to make it’s appearance.

Straight away, this is a dark & heavy album, and that’s before you fire up the disc player, blacks & reds make up the cover design, and even the song titles don’t hint at any lightness, in fact they reek of Southern Gothic: but stick with it, once you fire up the music there are glimmers of light, such as Nowhere To Go which has echoes of Chuck Berry while Open Hearted Woman  nods to 70s blues/rock. A fuzzy guitar leads you through this slinky number with deep groove, with yet another head-shaking guitar solo over Terrence Grayson’s bass and Cody’s drums locking it down.

Album opener, Buried Above Ground
erupts with dynamic interplay between drummer Cody Dickinson and Eric’s gritty, and sinfully good guitar riffs. There’s a deep, almost empathic connection between the two that drives this live-wire blues rocker. Johanson leads you through some of New Orleans’ traditions and folklore on this track by way of his bright, present vocals and a guitar solo of the killin’ kind. Full throttle, Johanson’s six-string bending is nothing short of inspired while tasteful; this guy knows how to give each note the perfect space, seemingly never rushing for the next note.. Another standout is the blues/rock Never Tomorrow. The guitar hook is especially catchy, begging for the Repeat button. It’s a true blues-inspired rocker with tight drumming, bass and guitar. About seizing the moment, this song fires on all cylinders with a nod to Zeppelin and their ilk but with a modern roots twist.

Change The Universe is the first deviation from the album’s dirge-like blues backbone, and allows Johanson to expose adroitly, another facet of his music. Slower in tempo and softer in mood, he trades in his searing overdrive for an echoed guitar tone on a more pensive number, perhaps influenced by Ray Jacildo’s sublime Hammond organ work. The Dickinson’s touch colours the swampy timbre of Hammer On The Stone, where the deep, lazy riff gets pulled through the progressions by Grayson’s throbbing bass. River Of Oblivion sinks pleasantly deeper into the sonic mire and drags the lyrics with it. Johanson tackles drug addiction by deftly weaving in, out, and around the metaphor he constructs. Dose of Forget stays on subject, but paints a slightly lighter picture on a brief “dose” of a tune, neatly switching cadences through verse, chorus, and instrumental sections. Love Is Rebellion puts forth the most hopeful and upbeat vibe on an album of mostly dark, gritty rock. Largely acoustic, it contains the best solo of the offering and is among the best songs on the album

An acoustic blues treat rattled out on a Resonator closes the album. Riverbend Blues is a love letter to NOLA with references to a streetcar whining, a train whistle, the river bend, and a plea for trouble to end. It’s melodic with slide guitar and Johanson’s voice, soulful with beautiful timbre.

Eric is a well-seasoned and well travelled 3rd generation Blues player, having toured worldwide as the lead guitarist for Cyril Neville, Grammy winner Terrance Simien and has also been featured with JJ Grey and Mofro, Eric Lindell, Mike Zito, The Neville Brothers and Anders Osbourne. This though has the feel of a genuine breakout album. The album, whether just reflecting his varied musical taste or intentionally featuring a diverse musical pallet, offers everything from roots/rock barn burners, swaggering shuffles and a bit of psychedelia, to moving ballads and acoustic roots/blues—all with mature & elegant guitar playing. Johanson’s sound evokes the Louisiana bayou, and reflects the challenges of the human journey in these strange times (while remaining almost timeless) with both personal and universal themes. The Dickinsons’ crisp & uncluttered production has surely brought the best out in Eric Johanson, and the time was right for this multi-talented musician to unleash. The result is fresh, contemporary blues-inspired roots/rock with musicianship that seems limitless.

Never Tomorrow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MHDGMn … e=emb_logo
Down To The Bottom - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrvlKPx … e=emb_logo

In all - 85% rating.

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: Eric Johanson

I totally dig his sound, I hope he makes out to Arizona, this covid sucks, missing out on the music scene

Re: Eric Johanson

I also saw  a good  review of his  latest album.I checked  it out and really like it.

Your rock candy baby
Your hard sweet and sticky

Re: Eric Johanson

Eric is truly AWESOME!  Love his music.  His new CD is really good.  Glad to see he's getting some love.  Just a FYI he does live concerts every week on his social media accounts.  Tab Benoit does some as well, but Eric is doing them every week.

Go Raiders, JUST WIN BABY!
Fight ON USC TROJANS!

Re: Eric Johanson

Look out in April as Eric Johanson will be releasing the 1st, of at least 2, albums of covers; favourite tracks doen his way. (Volume two due June.)

Over the last couple of months I’ve been working on recording my own versions of some of my favorite songs from other artists - songs that had an impact on me at one point or another in my life.  I also pored through each and every request I received from fans and found my favorites among those. I started recording songs and it ended up pretty tough for me to narrow it down to one release. So, I’m doing 2.
Covered Tracks: Vol. 1 will be out 4/23/2021, and Vol. 2 will be out in June.
The way I approached these songs was inspired by the Thursday livestreams I’ve been doing over the last year. I started a lot of the songs with scratching a rhythm into my looper and building organically off of that, just like I’ve been doing on the stream. Of course, in the (home) studio, I was able to add a clap, thump, or shaker (i.e. a can of cookie sprinkles or oatmeal) here and there - and make it all a bit more interesting. 
It was a really enjoyable and meaningful way to connect with music, and with this very unique time at home. While I very much look forward to returning to rocking out with a live band, I can’t deny that I’ve gained a lot from stripping it all back down to basics for a while, with just myself and an acoustic guitar. The personal connection I’ve been able to have with you has been amazing too, and now I couldn’t imagine it any other way.”

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...