I consider myself blessed to call Robert "One Man" Johnson a friend. If I remember it right, way back in about 1985, I ended up volunteering to provide the music for an official gathering evening - but I was nowhere near competent/experienced enough on a stage to provide an evening's entertainment to an audience. However I managed it, I had the fortuitous sense and chance to have invited RJ to join me. The man ended up saving the day (night) by playing the whole gig by himself more or less.
We worked sort of side by side as English teachers for several years starting soon after. Both of us used our guitars and our singing as educational "tools" in the classroom. Over the years, we drifted our own ways: him to Dubai or some other Arab lands, and from there to China and environs; me, always the same: right here, going on 30+ years now.
The "One Man" appelation comes from the fact that he plays the guitar, sings, blows a mean harp hung around his neck, stomps a high hat with one foot and a "foot piano" he built and invented with the other foot - all at the same time. He also writes a lot of his own songs, some of them picked up by some big names. You can check him out and learn more at his website Housedogmusic.
A couple of years back, as part of my advisory duties, I found the need to come up with a "known" musician for a festival my students were putting on, and Robert both came to mind and to my rescue, flying in all the way from farthest Asia for a one hour show. He was gracious enough to invite me to join him on stage during his show.
Robert comes to mind at this point in time because he has a version of Catfish Blues, and I used a different version of that song over at SMM this week, and while I love his song Sen ve Ben (the video link where we play together above), I best like Thin on Top.
Robert "One Man" Johnson: Sen ve Ben
Robert "One Man" Johnson: Thin on Top
Robert "One Man" Johnson: Catfish Blues
To pick up more of his music for yourself, try CDBaby
No comments:
Post a Comment