Showing posts with label Dan Johnson. Show all posts

Sunday, October 27, 2024

#712 > Cedar County Cobras / McMurrin and Johnson / Illinois John Fever at The Ideal Theater 10/26/24

Cedar County Cobras / McMurrin and Johnson / Illinois John Fever – Oct. 26, 2024

Ideal Theater & Bar
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

By Phillip Smith; Oct. 27, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

I'm always happy to experience live music, and it makes me happier to experience it with like-minded music lovers. The Ideal Theater and Bar in Cedar Rapids, Iowa hosted an absolutely astounding three-act show headlined by Cedar County Cobras. Illinois John Fever kicked the evening off with a very cool set of country blues. This was my first time to hear these artists. They played a quite impressive set and are certainly on my radar now. It was great to see Dennis 'Daddy-O' McMurrin and Dan 'DJ' Johnson again. I have been a fan of them both since I moved to Iowa just over thirty years ago, The Cedar County Cobras, finished off the evening with an outstanding-as-usual performance. They are always a delight to hear. After winning the 2024 Iowa Blues Challenge recently, the band earned an entrance to participate in the 2025 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee which will take place in January. I wish them my very best on their journey.

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· All Photos by Phillip Smith

Illinois John Fever

Dennis 'Daddy-O' McMurrin and Dan Johnson

Cedar County Cobras

· All Photos by Phillip Smith

For more information about Cedar County Cobras visit https://cedarcountycobras.com/

For more information about Illinois John Fever visit https://www.illinoisjohnfever.com/

Saturday, September 28, 2024

#707 > BillyLee Janey Band - King of the Roll (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2024 – Fervor Records

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 28, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

King of the Roll, the latest album from BillyLee Janey Band is seventeen tracks of all-original hard-driving blues-rock, and I absolutely dig it. I’ve been a fan of BillyLee’s work for quite a long time, and he never ceases to amaze me. With Janey on all guitars and vocals, he is joined with Tommy T-Bone Giblin (Lonnie Brooks) on B3 and clavinet, Dan ‘DJ’ Johnson on bass, Bryce Janey on bass guitar, Eric Douglas on drums, and Troy Harper guest drummer on “Lucky Star”.

Setting a strong impression, the album leads off with title-track “King of the Roll” a song loaded with a funky rhythm and searing guitar licks. Douglas’ commanding approach on drums fuels this smoking track. The rolling sound of Giblin’s B3 sets a groovy background for Janey as he lays down the law on “Killin’ Flow”. In a fabulously smoldering performance, Janey and band conjure memories of the ferocious derecho which tore through Iowa in August of 2020 in “Iowa Hurricane”. That was a day I will never forget, and the song captures the event in a most honest way. I love the propulsive “Hellbound Nite Ryder”. The song guides the listener down a mesmerizing journey of Janey’s guitar mastery. “Rain Fallin’” is an amazing track with a jazz-soaked rhythm which brilliantly takes me back to 2008 when a hundred-year flood wreaked havoc across Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Hearing Janey cut loose on the nearly seven-minute long instrumental “Star Spangled Blues/Mountain Fire” is a genuine treat.

BillyLee Janey Band truly shines with King of the Roll. I highly recommend giving this album a listen.

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For more information about BillyLee Janey, visit https://fervor-records.com/artist/billylee-janey/

Check out previous PhillyCheeze reviews and photos of BillyLee Janey with this link:

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=Billylee+Janey

Sunday, November 4, 2018

#360 : Bob Dorr and Friends Live @ Cedar Ridge Winery and Distillery

November 2, 2018

Swisher, Iowa

By Phillip Smith; Nov 4, 2018

Friday, November 2nd, the Linn County Blues Society and Cedar Ridge Winery and Distillery hosted a stellar evening of blues in Swisher, Iowa. Bob Dorr and Friends (guitarist Jeff Petersen, bassist Dan ‘DJ’ Johnson, and keyboardist Tom Giblin) brought their Parlor City Jam Band out to play in a totally different setting, at Cedar Ridge Winery to a full house of blues fans.

With Bob behind the drum kit and Jeff Petersen armed with his Flying V guitar, the band played through crowd favorites such as the Hank Williams classic “Mind Your Own Business” and Freddie King’s “Have You Ever Loved a Woman”. DJ stepped up to the mic and rocked the room with “Shake Rattle and Roll”, originally recorded by Big Joe Turner. Keeping the momentum going, Petersen belted out Ike Turner’s legendary “Rocket 88”. It sounded great. When “Mustang Sally” rolled around the dance floor quickly filled. DJ paid a wonderful homage to Jimmy Reed’s “Baby What You Want Me to Do?” As the blues jams go, you never know who will appear on stage throughout the show. This particular evening, keyboardist Jeff Craft and harpist Bob Gleason made an appearance. Craft led the band on a great cover of Muddy Waters’ “Got My Mojo Workin’” with Gleason wonderfully ripping it up on harmonica. It was very cool. The music was so hot; the time quickly flew by. Before long, the jam came to its end with Bob Dorr’s traditional Limestoner Blues Jam closer, Dylan’s “Rainy Day Woman # 12 & 35”. It was a terrific night, indeed.

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* photos by Phillip Smith

Tom 'T-Bone Giblin

Jeff Petersen, Bob Dorr, Dan 'DJ' Johnson'

Bob Dorr, Jeff Petersen

Bob Dorr, Dan 'DJ' Johnson, Tom 'T-Bone' Giblin
and Jeff Petersen

Jeff Petersen, Dan 'DJ' Johnson

Tom 'T-Bone Giblin' , Bob Dorr

Jeff Craft, Bob Gleason

Jeff Petersen

Bob Dorr

Jeff Petersen, Dan 'DJ' Johnson

Jeff Petersen

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Czech Village Blues Festival - Aug 12, 2017

Czech Village

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

All photos by Phillip Smith; Aug 13, 2017

I am more than thrilled to see the return of an annual blues festival here in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It has been a long journey to get one going again since the final Bluesmore in 2013. This year the Linn County Blues Society joined forces with the Friends of the Czech Village to bring the blues back to our city. The result was a phenomenal evening of music performed by The LCBS Allstars featuring eight Iowa Blues Hall of Fame inductees, along with headlining act, Joanna Connor.