 Johnny A. Johnny A.'s all-instrumental debut explores the post-1950s tradition of the electric guitar. Seasoning the recipe with jazzy chords, wah-wah and a drop of distortion, he stops short of bending strings or ripping off flashy licks. The disc recalls the vintage surf and instrumental rock of the 1950s and 1960s - check out the cover of The Ventures' "Walk Don't Run" - but the guitarist imbues the dozen songs with lyricism rather than calling attention to his chops. He turns in a moving reading of "Wichita Lineman" by letting the song speak for itself, and then swaggers down the street like a neighborhood tough guy on "Two Wheel Horse." "In The Wind" is sophisticated urban jazz - circa 1975 rather than the "smooth" fare of today - and A. "sings" the blues on the cover of "You Don't Love Me." In keeping with the retro flavor, the majority of the tunes fall within the three- to four-minute range. "Sometime Tuesday Morning" is special for the all the things that it isn't. |
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