JOHN LONG "LOST & FOUND" Source: Blues In Britain Date: 02/2006 Writer: Mick Rainsford

Rating 10+

I first heard John Long on Homesick James’ last Fedora release, ‘My Home Ain’t Here’, on which Homesick spoke about passing the flame/torch of the (real traditional) blues on to him; a bequest Long has grasped firmly with both hands and his soul on his debut CD for Delta Groove Productions – “Lost & Found”.

John Long can only be described as a “throwback” – an artist whose music is so steeped in tradition, you could almost believe it was an element of the source itself rather than its consequence.

Born in St Louis in 1950, Long was converted to the blues by listening to local radio and his mom’s 78s – honing his craft as he was mentored by the likes of Big Joe Williams, Doc Terry and Homesick James – leading to a typical acoustic blues player’s career of obscurity – appreciated only by those given the scarce opportunity to witness his live performances.

This situation was only to change when Al Blake heard one of Long’s demos, and, “stunned by the intensity and purity of Long’s blues”, passed it on to Randy Chortkoff at Delta Groove – resulting in the release of “Lost & Found”. You will understand exactly what Blake means on hearing the opening track on this set, ‘Hokum Town’ - an elemental blues on which Long’s raw, unschooled vocals, eerie falsetto and tendency to emphasize the “mmm” at the end of his lines, allied to foot stomping, guitar slapping and propulsive slide, bring to mind both Tommy McClennan and Blind Lemon Jefferson – sounding more like a blues recorded seventy years ago, than one recorded in 2006. ‘Pressure Cooker (‘Bout To Blow)’ reinforces that impression – walking bass, downhome harp and tantalizing guitar picking, underpinning Long’s slurred, mushy mouthed, deep throaty vocals on a blues that brings to mind ‘Sitting On Top Of The World’.

Fred Kaplan adds his immense talents to three tracks – ‘Hell Cat’ finding him barrelhousing in true Roosevelt Sykes style, whilst Long’s vocals and guitar bring to mind Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell respectively – Carr and Blackwell’s influence again come to the fore on ‘Stranglevine’, Long’s plaintive vocals echoed by high register harp and Walter Davis styled piano.

The boisterous instrumental ‘Johnny’s Jump’ brings to mind both Broonzy and John Lee Williamson; the brooding ‘Mean Ole Rootin’ Ground Sloth’ maintaining that Sonny Boy feel but replacing Broonzy with tantalizing Robert Lee McCoy guitar – I could go on and on, eulogizing about each track, as each is a diamond in its own right.

Suffice to say, if you are a lover of traditional blues – you have no other option than to buy this set.

Long is the “real deal” – a true blues master.