2026 – Independent Release
Release Date : July 2026
By Phillip
Smith; Aug. 9,
2026
On Top of the World, the sixth solo album from British bluesman Will
Johns instantly pulls me in with six masterful covers of standards and four
innovative originals. During his
worldwide travels, he found himself at the top of mountains and volcanos in Guatemala
and was inspired to focus this album on the manifestation of something positive
out of everyday challenges, hence the album title. With Johns on guitar and vocals, he is
joined by Steve Ferrone on drums, Richard Sadler on bass, Nigel
Fiest on harmonica and guests guitarist Charlie Johns, vocalists Tomiko
Dixon and Amritha Rajan, OYME, and Lauren Dukes on backing
vocals.
With a riveting intro, Johns kicks the record off with a buttery cover of the Mississippi Sheiks’ “Sitting on Top of the World”. It sounds fantastic with Johns’ suave and whiskey-soaked voice alongside Fiest’s harp. His cover of Muddy Waters’ “Manish Boy” takes me right to my inner juke joint. Loaded with guitar licks that cut deep, this one is served with swagger and ferocity. I love that Tomiko Dixon joins Johns for a duet on “Spoonful”. Written by Tomiko’s grandfather, blues legend Willie Dixon, and first recorded by Howlin’ Wolf in 1960, this song is one of my absolute favorites. This recording sounds amazing with John’s fiery guitar mastery and Tomiko’s fierce vocals. I dig how Johns takes me back to the early Eighties with his infectious R&B track “Move It”. Recorded with Intercontinental Music Award winner Amritha Rajan who also placed in the Top Sixteen of Indian Idol, this one has a feel-good energy that instantly washes over me. I love the George Benson-esque vocal scatting Rajan beautifully injects into the song. I’m pretty much gob smacked by “On My Back”. It is a very unique and amazing track with Johns on slide guitar and backed by OYME, a Russian band which incorporates bowed-string instruments with polyphonic singing. A wonderful, played-to-perfection cover of Big Bill Broonzy’s “Worrying You Offa My Mind” follows next and it sure is a great song to bring the album to a close.
Will Johns scores big with this new record. On Top of the World is a splendid listen from beginning to end.
For more information about
Will Johns, follow this link to his website : https://willjohns.com/