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It may finally be time to retire Randy Newman’s “Louisiana 1927” as the post-Katrina song that everybody plays at Jazz Fest. After all, Newman was writing about an entirely different hurricane with topical references that don’t necessarily resonate today. You can only work up so much emotion about President Coolidge.
On the other hand, Johnny Sansone has come up with a perfect modern equivalent in this album’s title track. Taking stock of local life over the past two years, he points the fingers in the right direction (his insurance company right alongside Bush and Bronwie); and throws in some pointed lines (“My mother’s out in Houston / my daddy used to be in a grave”) that Newman would likely admire. What makes it work is the music’s tone of muted celebration. His accordion and Doug Garrison’s slowed-down second-line drumming match the steely determination of the lyric. And without underlining the point too hard, Sansone makes it clear that the kind of paradise he’s singing about—where “little people suffer and big shots don’t compromise”—isn’t confined to New Orleans.
That’s the standout track, but the disc as a whole marks a songwriting breakthrough for an artist who’s been better known as a singer and harmonica player. True, some songs could use a bit of editing (most run between five and seven minutes) but there’s an impressive range here for a blues-based album; from a nautical epic to a dark-humored rocker to “Johnny Sadsong,” a neat bit of self-mythologizing in the “Bo Diddley” vein. And the topical theme returns on the more somber finale, “I’m Goin’ Home,” which catches the mixed emotions of a hurricane exile during the return trip across the bridge.
Copyright OffBeat, Inc., 2007
Gambit Weekly
cdreviews
October 19, 1999
From the liner notes . . . Watermelon Patch
New Orleans is filled with artists from all over the world who discovered their true creative and spiritual home in the Crescent City. Many a first-time visitor to the Big Easy, upon soaking up such pleasures as a plate of boiled crawfish, a stroll on the banks of the Mississippi River, or the smell of blooming magnolias down Esplanade Avenue, fall under the city's spell. Veteran bluesman Johnny Sansone had done his share of traveling, honing his craft in the Austin, Colorado, North Carolina, and Kansas City blues scenes, but after he set up camp in New Orleans in 1989, you'd swear he was born on the bayou.
Sansone already had established himself as a practitioner of hardcore wrecking-ball power Chicago blues, with his massive harmonica tone recalling Windy City giants Big Walter and Little Walter. Guitar virtuoso Ronnie Earl tapped Sansone as the frontman for his band the Broadcasters for a stretch in the late '80s, where the pair backed giants Jimmy Rogers, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Hubert Sumlin, and Pinetop Perkins. Sansone also mined the blueprint of Arkansas legend Sonny Boy Williamson II, blowing piercing country-blues squalls with unwavering authority.
When Sansone hit Louisiana, he connected with the source of the Gulf Coast sounds that also inspired him: the R&B of Guitar Jr. (AKA Lonnie Brooks), the bilingual zydeco and blues of Clifton Chenier, and the deep swamp sounds of Excello bluesmen Slim Harpo and Lazy Lester. Those touchstones crystallized on Sansone's 1997 Bullseye CD Crescent City Moon, a Louisiana song cycle that displayed Sansone's burgeoning accordion skills, insightful songwriting, and new musical vision. In addition to heaps of glowing national press, the album struck a chord with New Orleans listeners, and won blues album of the year and song of the year (for the title track) from New Orleans music magazine Offbeat.
Watermelon Patch picks up where Crescent City Moon left off, with a fresh batch of Sansone originals. In addition to smokin' longtime Sansone guitarist Rick Olivarez, who cuts a wide swath of textures, fills, and memorable solos, a who's-who of the Louisiana roots-music scene is along for the ride. The rhythm section of drummer Kenneth Blevins and bassists Dave Ranson powered John Hiatt's seminal Slow Turning album and have collectively played with such luminaries as Shawn Colvin, Sonny Landreth, influential Cajun-rock band Coteau, and South Louisiana supergroup Lil' Band of Gold. The dual pianists -- each solo artists in their own right -- also boast heavy-duty resumes; Jon Cleary has worked with the likes of B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, and Taj Mahal, and Joe Krown has manned the keyboard chair in Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown's band for the past six years. Top it off with the double-tenor sax frontline of Joe Cabral and Derek Huston of the Iguanas, and the trumpet of trad-jazz master Duke Heitger, and you've got a Louisiana dream team.
But this was no hastily assembled crew hired for a cut-and-paste job in the studio. Years of friendship and mutual respect are the common bonds with this collection of players, and when it came time to roll tape, everything clicked with an intuitive immediacy. The bulk of the album was cut live, in one day.
The stamp of that musical telepathy covers Watermelon Patch like kudzu. The zydeco-flavored tracks ("Think of Me," "Mon Fleur," "Comin' For Sure") pack the melodic joy and ensemble wallop of Buckwheat Zydeco's early recordings, and the rhythm section clears out a huge pocket for Sansone and Olivarez's searing leads on the title track. Jon Cleary weaves a Latin-tinged percussion through "Quagmire," the band locks into some classic New Orleans second-line rhythms on "Loveline," and Krown and Sansone go deep on the Chicago blues of "Civilized City."
And harmonica fans should strap themselves in for the chromatic instrumentals, "Pig's Feet and Tail Meat" and "Stink Bait," two of the nastiest, filthiest, down-in-the-gutter subterranean blues you'll ever hear, with Sansone's primeval tone roaring like a screaming pterodactyl.
In addition to his instrumental prowess, what ultimately distinguishes Sansone from the current pack of contemporary harp men is his original compositions. Witness the Wild West-metaphor in "Civilized City," the succinctly crafted chorus and phrasing on "The Bridge," and the full-circle narrative of "Neutral Ground." Whether he's applying those kinds of touches to a stone-blues or a zydeco barnburner, the end result is a unique, highly personal sound. Johnny Sansone's Watermelon Patch makes for sweet listening. -- Scott Jordan
Jumpin' Johnny Sansone
**** Crescent City Moon (Bullseye Blues, 1997)
Jumpin' Johnny Sansone (b. 1957) ranks as
one of contemporary blues' finest harmonica
players, but he is much more than the latest
slavish Little Walter disciple. Ater years of
fronting blues bands in Colorado, Texas and the
Carolinas and a stint as front man for guitarist
Ronnie Earl's band the Broadcasters, Sansone
now mixes the standard Windy City harp motifs
with equal inspiration from sources such as
veteran Chicago guitarist Lonnie Brooks's early
Gulf Coast rhythm & blues sides, the Louisiana
swamp pop of Bobby Charles and the zydeco
accordion mastery of Clifton Chenier. Filtered
through Sansone's keen songwriting--and
brought to life with his robust voice and
instrumental prowess--these touchstones
come alive as a refreshing new entity.
Crescent City Moon is one of the strongest
Louisiana records of the '90s; Sansone has
absorbed the diverse musical roots of his
adopted hometown, New Orleans, to powerful
effect. "Give Me a Dollar" pays homage to the
tap dancers on Bourbon Street witha raucous
second-line groove and a supercharged slide
solor from Sonny Landreth, and "Your Kind of
Love" utilizes the Iguanas' horn section to color
a sweet love song that wouldn't sound out of
place on a vintage Shirley and Lee record. For
an off-the-wall harp showcase, check out the
quirky instrumental "Popeyes and a Hubig's,
Part 2." The title track is the record's tour
de force, with Sansone's anguished vocal and
funereal accordion figure breathing life into the
tale of a downtrodden man whose friends have
sold him down the river. -- S.J.
Born in Orange, New Jersey, Jumpin' Johnny Sansone was surrounded by music. His father, a schoolteacher, part-time jukebox-rental businessman, and saxophone player gave the necessary ingredients to kindle a musical spark in the young Johnny. Taking saxophone lessons at the tender age of eight years old, Johnny was drawn to the harmonica and guitar by listening to eight-track tapes of Jimmy Reed and other blues masters on an old beat up juke box in the family's basement.
Jumpin' Johnny's first big break came when Ronnie Earl asked him to front the band. Johnny was in blues heaven backing such distinguished blues favorites Jimmy Rogers and Robert Jr. Lockwood. Following that gig Johnny moved to New Orleans in 1989 and settled down to concentrate on his solo career.
Enough of the past! Jumpin' Johnny has a bright future in front of him. Crescent City Moon grabbed four "Best of the Beat" Awards from Offbeat magazine. The four categories included the coveted "Song of the Year" for "Crescent City Moon," and in the best of the Blues Category: Best Harmonica Player, Best Blues band, and Best Blues Album of the Year. Hey, we are talking about the BEST in New Orleans here!
Jumpin' Johnny is joined by some very special guests on Crescent City Moon. Sonny Landreth lends searing slide guitar to tracks (1, 5) and the Iguanas' sax men pull out all the stops with riffs that keep your legs shakin'. Jumpin' Johnny is the highlight of this album and demonstrates that with smart songwriting skills, harmonica playing reminiscent of the Chicago pioneers, and his vocals have critics comparing him to Charlie Mussiewhite and James Harmon. Johnny also is a triple threat on accordion. Get ready for a tasteful mix of the blues, swamp pop, and Gulf Coast rhythm and blues.
August/September 1996
JOHNNY SANSONE
Jimmy's Club, New Orleans, LA
February 9, 1996
by Scott Jordan
New Orleans bluesman and harmonica ace Johnny Sansone knows how to cook in more wavs than one. Sansone is widely regarded as the king of Crescent City harp players by Louisiana blues connoisseurs, but Sansone is no one-trick pony. To celebrate the release of his stellar new collection Crescent City Moon, Sansone threw an open-invitation musical party, and sweetened the pot by offering a batch of his home-cooked red beans and rice and jambalaya. After the full house was warmed up by the tasty eats and a strong set from local roadhouse favorites Merritt & the Bloodhounds, Sansone took center stage and showed he's a true renaissance man.
Besides his prodigious harmonica skills, Sansone brings an unerring sense of adventure to his performing, evidenced immediately as he strapped on an accordion to start the night. Rather than stick to standard shuffles and 12-bar blues, Sansone plunged into material from Crescent City Moon, a batch of zydeco and swamp pop-informed compositions that evoke Louisiana geography and sensibility. "Give Me a Dollar" paid tribute to the tap dancers hustling on Bourbon St. with a slide-fueled groove and Sansone's infectious squeezebox work, while "Anything, Anytime" floated wich the sweet rhythms associated with local Tex-Mex favorites The Iguanas.
An early showstopper was Crescent City Moon's title track, a brilliant and devastating lament that stands tall next to the catalog of zydeco patriarch Clifton Chenier. With its deftly drawn images of a man down on his luck at the banks of the mighty Mississippi, "Crescent City Moon" deserves a slot in the slow-blues hall of fame. Sansone delivered the lyrics like his feet were planted in the riverbank mud.
While Sansone's accordion work is engaging, his harmonica playing is downright dazzling. Sansone is a commanding frontman, his skills honed bv his years backing greats such as John Lee Hooker, and his former role as vocalist and harp man for Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters in the late 1980s. When he swapped instruments and picked up his self-proclaimed "tools of the trade," the night turned into sheer magic. Whether he was nailing the rough countrified tone of Rice Miller or the amplified blasts of Little Walter on tracks like "Blue and Lonesome," Sansone is one of the best examples that tone and feeling beat flash and virtuosity any dav of the week.
Sansone's ace in the hole is his songwriting: the deliciously wobbly instrumental "Popeyes and a Hubigs Part II" and the hilarious relationship metaphors in "Crawfish Walk" were reminders that the best players take their inspirations and forge something new, rather than slavishly copying their influences.
The highlight of the evening was missed by most of the crowd, who left shortlv after two a.m. thinking the show was over. Sansone returned for his third set of the night, saying he was going to play "the kind of blues you listen to when you get home at five in the morning." With Guitarist Robert James at his side, Sansone covered a spectrum of vintage Chicago sounds, leading his band through a tough set that recalled Jimmy Roger's classic Shelter sides. With the exception of the last patrons feverishly yelling our approval, often the only sound in the house was Sansone's harp, which he repeatedly brought down to a whisper, savoring every last note and nuance with sheer joy. When the bartenders flicked the house lights at 3:15 a.m. to try to close up shop, Sansone protested loudly in between puffs on a cigar. "I travel all over the country and hear last call, and when I come home to New Orleans I want to play all night," he said defiantly.
That's the essence of Sansone. Unjustly overlooked in the large talent pool of New Orleans, he's taken his devotion to blues overseas and across the country, yet he deserves comparison to such contemporary masters as Kim Wilson and Charlie Musselwhite. If that sounds like inflated praise for someone you've probabiv never heard of, just ask any patron who was at Jimmy's on this night. Jumpin' Johnny Sansone may be one of the blues best-kept secrets, but talent like his wins fans for life.
Give Me a Dollar/Anything Anytime/Your Kind of Love/Popeyes and a Hubigs, PartII/Sweet Baby/Crawfish Walk/Destination Unknown/Crescent City Moon/Uncle Joe/Just Say Yes/The Talkin' Is Over (The Walkin' Has Begun)/Please Please Me
Johnny Sansone combines an exuberant vocal style with solid instnimental facility on harmonica and accordion and above average compositional skills--his songs are never predictable, usually enjoyable, and sometimes masterful. Crescent City Moon blends basic blues with Louisiana R&B, swamp, and zydeco influences, spotlighting Sansone's alternately energetic or understated leads with fine support from his band and tremendous guest spots by a cast that includes guitarist Sonny Landreth, pianist Jon Cleary, and saxophonist Joe Cabral. Sansone wisely emphasizes original material and adds welcome modern touches.
Johnny Sansone walked onto the stage at the Artscenter in Carrboro and jumped right into playing harmonica and leading his four piece band into Chicago style blues and then switching to accordion for some finger licking New Orleans zydeco style blues & R&B.
Johnny plays harmonica with more than little of Little Walter and Paul Butterfield in tone but he also mixes it up by sometimes using a chromatic harmonica, sometimes playing into a closed hand mike, sometimes open into the vocal mike, sometimes with the mike next to this throat, and sometimes inside a box (but more on that later.) A very inventive and exciting show of harmonica playing that never lost its soul.
Johnny grew up in New Jersey and spent a few years in North Carolina before settling in New Orleans where he picked up the
accordion as a separate lead instrument. He plays both well and together they fit his songs letting him cook up a unique mix of blues,
zydeco, and New Orleans style R&B. He sings with a raspy but up beat voice that works very well with the R&B. Check out song clips
and bio on the Web.
His band was equally strong. His guitarist is Rick Olivarez who played very tasty licks feeding off the harmonica and soling equally well. Sansone didn't mention the rhytmn section but the drummer was particularly fine with a funky New Orleans rhythm that he brought even to the blues.
The band played some old songs including "Blues with a Feeling" and a Clifton Chanier number. They also played a lot of songs from their new album including the great bouncy "Give me a Dollar" that brought the crowd to the dance floor. Also the funky blues songs "Crawfish Walk" and "The Talkin'is Over". The also kicked back with a rock and roll "Destination Unknown" and a truly great (great!) version of the dramatic title song - "Crescent City Moon". This is a steamy delta mood inspiring song that was voted New Orleans song of the year and he played a version of it that would stand up with any song. For a encore Johnny got loose and after throwing some beaded necklaces to the audience - Mardi Gras style- he put the empty box over his head and played harmonica on the funky funny instrumental "Popeye and A Hubigs Part II" which even got the band laughing.
The crowd at the Artscenter was small but very active, lots of dancing this time. Johnny's music gets people active, but he deserves a bigger crowd. The Artscenter needs more advertising to get the word out about lesser known acts. I know it's tough to get a crowd on a fine spring weekend but they missed a great show. The Triangle has hosted a number of harmonica players lately including Kenny Neal and Mark Hummel - but Johnny Sansone's show topped them all.Living Blues
The Magazine of the African-American Blues Tradition
July/August 1997
Jumpin'Johnny Sansone
Crescent City Moon
Bullseye Blues CD BB 9585
Your Kind of Love and Just Say Yes are romantic numbers with a quirky rather than
sentimental quality, while Uncle Joe and The Talkin' Is Over mix comedic and serious tones; the title track and Cravvfish Walk infuse the proceedings with regional potency. The sizzlinc, pace and expert riffs on Popeyes and a Hubigs, Part II provide another of those memorable--but too short--instrumental moments that too often go undocumented
during blues sessions. Guitarist Rick Oliverez gets the most space among Sansone's
band partners, but bassist Steve Riggs and drummer Jim Starboard are also worthy
contributors. Landreth's slide guitar adds spice to Give Me a Dollar and Sweet Baby.
Johnnv Sansone produced this session, ensuring that his own musical vision would be
presented. Crescent City Moon should earn him exposure and support. --
Ronald J. Wynn
Copyright © Living Blues
Robert's Review of Johnny Sansone at Artscenter, 05/30/97
Available at http://www.rasman.com/reviews/jsansone.html
Copyright: Rasman Media