Topic: Larry Johnson dead?

[Brian Kramer Blues]

On another note;
I just solved a Larry Johnson mystery that really had me stumped!
A friend of Larry's sent me a 2007 Living Blues article where at the close of the piece he talks about a new CD he just did called My Story Should Be Told and it's the one he's been waiting 40 years to do.
This was the first I'd heard of this recording and started searching around... The label's called ZBark records. NOTHING! Doesn't exist... No reference whatsoever anywhere!
I talk to one of Larry's close friends. Never heard about it, has never seen a copy...
I then track down the writer of the article and he gets back to me and apparently has some additional information about the recording along with another contact of a "semi-promoter" who was involved with Larry back then.
BINGO!
He tells me the story, very rare item and a one shot deal to get Larry some product to sell at shows that were arranged for him. Never officially released.
It's apparently a studio quality live recording, laced with stories Larry wanted to tell and document from his lifetime of experience in Blues.
The guy is sending me a copy!
Anyone else out there come across this rare item?

[Stuart]

On another note;

...he talks about a new CD he just did called "My Story Should Be Told" and it's the one he's been waiting 40 years to do...

It's apparently a studio quality live recording, laced with stories Larry wanted to tell and document from his lifetime of experience in Blues.

Anyone else out there come across this rare item?

I haven't. Although it's early--you haven't heard it yet--it just might have the potential to fulfill what Larry wanted to do, but to a wider audience.

Keep us posted, Brian.

[Stuart]

From the PWBG--you'll have to scroll down for Elijah's piece on Larry:

http://inabluemood.blogspot.com/2017/03/remembering-larry-johnson.html

http://www.elijahwald.com/bluarch.html

[oddenda]

In '72 I got Eddie Kirkland, Baby Tate, and Larry on the bill for the big outdoor spring musical "do" on the Saturday afternoon at SUNY-New Paltz where I taught biology. Larry was under the wing of Perls then and heard the records, so that meeting Baby Tate was major for him. Someone who knew and met Willie Walker!!! Tate and Larry did some duos on their sets (including "SC Rag") and Larry wanted to record with Tate [their sets were taped by yours truly, of course]. He volunteered to go South with me that summer as it was not possible to do then and there. Tate had a gig booked near Albany, NY by Kip Lornell. When the time came that summer, Larry had changed his mind. Makes sense - going South with a hairy guy with NY plates was probably a bad idea, but I regret that missed opportunity. (Tate was usually loath to do Walker pieces as he felt he wasn't good enough.)
Larry was better than good and he seems to have gotten lost a bit in the sauce, sadly. As we all know, talent is no requisite for success in the music business - it often gets in the way. I love the music and hate the business.

pbl

[Mr.OMuck]

The NY Times has shamefully passed on doing an obit for Larry, siting the reduction in their music staff as one reason. I for one would still like to see him have that, and would put in some money to pay for an obit. I'm curious how many others would also be willing to do so. According to Ask .com, The New York Times charges  $263 for the first four lines and then $52 per line after that, with about 28 characters per line. I suppose we could write a medium length and short obit and see how much money would could raise on Go Fund Me or [/size]Kickstarter. Anyone interested?

[oddenda]

On Larry Johnson - it is true that Bobby Robinson released a solo 45 on the Blue Soul label (I picked up a copy back then). Why Bobby thought this was a great commercial idea, I do not know.... never asked him. No more so than Ahmet Ertegun reording Blind Willie McTell for Atlantic in 1949! This was back in 1966 for those recording: PRODUCED BY Mike Vernon!! This was maybe a year LATER than the Sam Charters produced 1965 album on Prestige (Larry and Hank)! Sometimes back in the day, before all was taken over by lawyers and market research people, Record men LIKED the music enough to do that.

pbl

[Brian Kramer Blues]

You can actually find that 45 on YouTube...
Larry has stated that those Bobby Robinson produced recordings that were released in the UK in 66' were recorded in 59' and the master tapes were somehow "stolen" from the back of Bobby's record store in Harlem.
Then turned up released in England years later (Presenting The Country Blues) "with some kind of crab on the cover", as Larry said in a televised interview I have.
Larry proudly introduced me to Bobby one time in Harlem and they had a very strong relationship. Bobby had a lot of faith in Larry's potential and ability very early on, when he was still just getting it all together.

[evan]

[oddenda]

I stand corrected - Mike Vernon was apparently not involved in the Robinson recordings; probably put the Blue Horizon LP together. Bobby tried another acoustic release on a different label, but I cannot remember its name, nor the artist. One of the songs was "Another Sun Done(?) Set" with a strummed acoustic guitar and a fine baritone vocal. "True" folk music.

pbl

[David Kaatz]

Wow, some great stuff by Larry. He sure wasn't on my radar until mentioned here on WC a few times, and now this sad news.
So, those of you that knew him, is this picture accurate? I did a screen capture from one of the youtube videos, focusing on his left hand. His ring finger looks scarily, eerily, too long.

Dave

I can't see the attachment in my preview view, hopefully this works.

[Brian Kramer Blues]

Larry never used his little finger (pinky) when fretting a long A chord in first position and his hand/ring finger definitely adapted to this over time, giving it a bit of a contorted look.
He actually hardly ever used his little finger in most first position chords...
I tried to emulate years ago just to see if there was something unique about this form, but that's just the way he learned it.
He also picked with only his thumb and index finger, like Rev. Gary Davis, which I always found remarkable with the complex flurry of bass runs and passing chords and phrases he fluidly played.

[Brian Kramer Blues]

I received this amazing, candid two part TV interview of Larry from 2007 also performing a number of songs and uploaded to YouTube.
Just great stuff! Enjoy!
Part 1

Part 2

[eric]

Thanks for posting that, Brian.

[Brian Kramer Blues]

Well, here is an online version of the piece I wrote on Larry Johnson...
Can't say that I'm completely happy with it because I submit it with an approved word count as is, but they wound up editing some essential content.
Also an unforeseen format glitch that they didn't catch before publishing has a pertinent quote at the end repeated three times.
But at least something fitting about Larry Johnson is out there...

http://digital.livingblues.com/publication/index.php?i=395756&m=&l=&p=92&pre=&ver=html5

[Stuart]

Thank you, Brian.