Jeremiah Johnson

Jeremiah Johnson – Unemployed Highly Annoyed (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 41:03 minutes | 452 MB | Genre: Blues
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Ruf Records GmbH

Jeremiah Johnson takes the dangers of the COVID-19 virus as seriously as his music career. But no matter how you look at it, the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic has effectively put him out of work. Unemployed Highly Annoyed is Johnsons response to the adverse situation. Quarantined at home for months, Johnson decided it was time to get creative. Being forced into unemployment has been beyond frustrating. I decided to produce an album of songs inspired by the Covid-19 Pandemic and try to turn the roller coaster of emotions into something musical. This is truly a concept album. Johnson exclaims. The final product is a first-class Blues/Roots Rock record that is packed full of stunning guitar work coupled with soulfully passionate bluesy southern vocals. Unemployed Highly Annoyed is a striking musical reflection of the times that delivers a message the entire world can relate to. Jeremiah Johnson blends the sounds of the south, with Mississippi River blues and a touch of country flair. Emotionally charged southern blues rock, powered by the common mans passion for life and all the struggles in-between. Songs with meaning, a powerfully persuasive voice and master class musicianship. Unemployed Highly Annoyed has caught lightning in a bottle with this masterful snapshot of these difficult times and is truly a testament to his talent. Possibly the best record of Johnsons career, born from the most challenging time in his life as a musician.
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Jeremiah Johnson – Straitjacket (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 53:07 minutes | 591 MB | Genre: Blues Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Ruf Records GmbH

2018 release. Take a ride along the banks of the Mississippi River, pull up a stool in any St. Louis blues joint and talk will soon turn to the musician who’s giving the city it’s soundtrack. Jeremiah Johnson’s towering reputation has been hard-earned. In 2018, Straitjacket wears his soul on it’s sleeve. Produced by Mike Zito, and tracked live by the crack-squad studio band of Frank Bauer (sax/vocals), Benet Schaeffer (drums) and Tom Maloney (bass), the tracklisting takes in plenty of playful moments, like the title track’s hectic funk-blues complaint to a controlling girlfriend, or the grooving Dirty Mind, about a lover calling up for “a little company” at 2am. But elsewhere, personal songs like the addiction-themed Keep On Sailing bleed into the social commentary of Believe In America and Old School, which examines the spate of US shootings. It all ends with a cover of Alvin Lee’s classic Rock ‘N’ Roll Music To The World, which sees the band flex their astonishing chemistry and enjoy the ride. The man himself hopes you will do the same: “I want people to let this record play from the first to the last note, crank it up at a party or riding through the night on a Harley-Davidson. I want it to make people feel like going on a trip of emotion…”
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Jeremiah Johnson – Heavens To Betsy (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 41:31 minutes | 487 MB | Genre: Blues
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Ruf Records GmbH

Some artists need smoke and mirrors. All Jeremiah Johnson needs are songs. In the age of manufactured pop, the acclaimed St. Louis bandleader is a beacon of time-honored songcraft, writing on acoustic guitar, digging deep for raw lyrics and insisting on studio production that bottles the sweat of his shows. The approach might sound old-school, but on Heavens To Betsy, the result is some of the most vital music of the new decade. Heavens To Betsy is another bold creative leap for an artist on fire. It’s been just two years since Straitjacket hit #6 on the Billboard Blues Album chart and scored rave reviews across the board (Blues Blast: “This is grade-A primo stuff”). It was the cherry on top of Johnson’s triumphant early career, following up 2014’s Grind, 2016’s varied Blues Heart Attack, and the confessional Ride The Blues documentary. But while Johnson is rightly proud of that early catalogue – and still serves up house-rocking takes on the Straitjacket material each night – he’s always kept one eye on the horizon.
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Jeremiah Johnson – HI – FI Drive By (2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 41:53 minutes | 538 MB | Genre: Blues
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Ruf Records GmbH

Get ready for a sound explosion in high fidelity that combines Johnson’s masterful guitar work, his songwriting qualities as well as his incomparably powerful vocals on ten simply brilliant tracks.

For all great artists, there comes a moment when they realize who they are; Jeremiah Johnson has indeed found himself with his new release “Hi-Fi Drive By”. Get ready for a sound explosion in high fidelity that combines Johnson’s masterful guitar work, his songwriting skills as well as his incomparably powerful vocals on ten simply brilliant tracks. From the first track, which features Victor Wainwright, to the third, which features a guest appearance by Brandon Santini, to the final note of the epic last track, “Hi-Fi Drive By” delivers more hooks than can be found in a fisherman’s tackle box

Each of the tasteful and carefully constructed songs is a testament to musical prowess and offers a new listening pleasure every time you run this top-notch album. “Hi-Fi Drive By” is a highlight of his career, world class from start to finish, and certainly ranks among the top releases of the year.
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