The Original Guitar Wizard (2005)

About this title: Lonnie Johnson was best known for his tonally beautiful guitar playing, but he was also a fine singer and songwriter, and pretty adept on violin, piano, banjo, mandolin, harmonium, and bass as well. Equally at home in the blues or the jazz world (he worked with artists as raw as Texas Alexander and as polished as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington), Johnson's life as a professional musician began in the mid-'20s and stretched all the way into the 1960s, when his career was given an autumnal boost during the folk/blues revival. This four-disc 95-track box from Proper moves chronologically ... read more

Tracks:

1. Mr. Johnson's Blues [Johnson]
2. Johnson's Trio Stomp [Johnson]
3. To Do This You Got to Know How [Johnson]
4. South Bound Water [Johnson]
5. I Done Told You [Johnson]
6. Steppin' On the Blues [Johnson]
7. Steady Grind [Spivey]
8. Four Hands Are Better Than Two [Johnson]
9. Woke Up With the Blues in My Fingers [Johnson]
10. Backwater Blues [Smith]
11. Mean Old Bed Bug Blues [Higginbotham]
12. Roaming Ramble Blues [Johnson]
13. Stay Out of Walnut Street Alley [Johnson]
14. St. Louis Cyclone Blues [Johnson]
15. Bedbug Blues, Pt. 2 [Johnson]
16. Garter Snake Blues [Spivey]
17. 6/88 Glide [Johnson]
18. Life Saver Blues [Johnson]
19. I'm Not Rough [Hardin/Armstrong]
20. Sweet Potato Blues [Johnson]
21. Hotter Than That [Hardin]
22. Savoy Blues [Ory]
23. Playing With the Strings [Johnson]
24. Stompin' Em Along Now [Johnson]
25. Deep Blue Sea Blues [Alexander]
26. No More Women Blues [Alexander]
27. I'm So Tired of Living All Alone [Johnson]
28. Crowing Rooster Blues [Johnson]
29. Broken Levee Blues [Johnson]
30. Careless Love [Handy/Williams/Koen]
31. Toothache Blues, Pts. 1-2 [Jefferson/Williams]
32. Misty Mornin' [Ellington/Whetsol]
33. Two Tone Stomp [Johnson/Lang]
34. Have to Change Keys to Play These Blues [Johnson/Lang]
35. It Feels So Good, Pts. 1-2 [Johnson/Williams]
36. Jet Black Blues [Johnson]
37. Guitar Blues [Johnson/Lang]
38. Blue Guitars [Johnson/Lang]
39. Bullfrog Moan [Johnson/Lang]
40. Sundown Blues [Johnson]
41. The New Fallin' Rain Blues [Johnson]
42. You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now, Pts. 1-2 [Johnson/Spivey]
43. Hot Fingers [Johnson/Lang]
44. Blue Room [Johnson/Lang]
45. She's Making Whoopee in Hell Tonight [Johnson]
46. Another Woman Booked Out and Bound to Go [Johnson]
47. I Got the Best Jelly Roll in Town, Pts. 1-2 [Johnson]
48. The Dirty Dozen [Johnson]
49. I Just Can't Stand These Blues [Johnson]
50. Deep Sea Blues [Johnson]
51. Long Black Train [Johnson]
52. I Have to Do My Time [Johnson]
53. No More Troubles Now [Johnson]
54. You're Getting Old On Your Job [Johnson/Smith]
55. Don't Wear It Out [Johnson/Smith]
56. Got the Blues for Murder Only [Johnson]
57. Let All Married Women Alone [Johnson]
58. Beautiful But Dumb [Johnson]
59. Sleepy Water Blues [Johnson]
60. Uncle Red, Don't Use Your Head [Johnson]
61. I'm Nuts About That Gal [Johnson]
62. Racketeers Blues [Johnson]
63. Swing Out Rhythm [Johnson]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.