Albums
The Land of Dreams
Acclaimed professional harmonica player Jelly Roll Johnson delivers this emotional tribute to the music of New Orleans with a stellar band featuring Pat Bergeson on guitar, John Jarvis on piano, Charlie Chadwick on bass, and Chris Brown on drums.
With classic tunes such as “Basin Street Blues,” “Didn’t He Ramble,” and “St. James Infirmary,” Jelly and the band pay homage to the spirit of New Orleans. A fun romp of Li’l Liza Jane also features Pat on a harmonica solo and Pat and Jelly on bass harp! The album closes with Professor Longhair’s classic song “Tipitina” and Randy Newmans’s moving “Louisiana 1927.”
Come Rain or Come Shine
“Harmonica ace Jelly Roll Johnson delivers a collection of jazz-blues tunes dripping with soul, featuring a stellar organ trio; this album has blues, ballads and Blue Bossa, beautifully played on diatonic and chromatic harmonica.”
This instrumental album spotlights Jelly Roll’s sensual harmonica and an organ trio, featuring Pat Bergeson on guitar, Charles Treadway on B-3 organ and Chris Brown on drums. Jazz-blues classics Moanin’ by Bobby Timmons and Sugar by Stanley Turrentine, and standards Come Rain or Come Shine and Willow Weep for Me receive soulful treatments by the band. This collection also features fun romps through Killer Joe and The Preacher. Jelly Roll’s smooth take on Blue Bossa closes this noteworthy album.
Songs From The Record World
“A soulful mix of blues and jazz classics from harmonica wizard Jelly Roll Johnson. Backed by a rock-solid trio of Pat Bergeson on guitar, Dave Pomeroy on bass, and Chris Brown on drums.”
This instrumental release showcases Jelly Roll’s emotional harmonica on classics that range from his hauntingly romantic chromatic on “In a Sentimental Mood” to his down and dirty blues harp on “Everybody’s Cryin’ Mercy” to the joyful “Hallelujah I Love Her So.” Jelly Roll’s latest instrumental offering was inspired by some of the songs he first heard at Jerry’s Record World in Cleveland, Tennessee in 1972. “I discovered blues by Little Walter and Paul Butterfield, jazz by Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington, and the genius of Ray Charles,” Jelly says. “It was a life-changing experience for me, and I hope this album will pay tribute to that music.”
Jelly Roll Johnson and a Few Close Friends
“Jelly Roll Johnson and a Few Close Friends” features Johnson’s distinctive harmonica complementing acoustic performances by some of Nashville’s best singer / songwriters. With its spare production style, this album recreates the experience of Johnson’s performances with these songwriters at Nashville clubs. The result is an 11-track compilation of Americana tunes with flavors ranging from blues to pop to folk, woven together through the magic of Johnson’s soulful harp.
Singer / songwriters featured on the album perform all vocals and most of the acoustic guitar. They include : Tony Arata, writer of Garth Brooks’ hit “The Dance”; Malcolm Holcombe; Fred Knobloch, creator of George Strait’s current smash “Meanwhile”; Suzi Ragsdale; and Verlon Thompson, who penned the Trisha Yearwood hit “You say You Will.”