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2010 is shaping up as a good year for the Johnny Max Band. Johnny has got himself a brand new band, for which now garners 3 Maple Blues Nominations for the following awards, Entertainer of the Year, Drummer of the Year - Vince Maccarone, and Horn Player of the Year - Johnny Johnson. He also has a great new album out called "It's A Long Road", which takes off from his last award winning album, "A Lesson I've Learned", without missing a beat. "It's A Long Road" consists of 12 tracks, all originals and all written as a group effort by 5 members of the Band and as with previous releases Johnny Max stays with a tried and true formula that is both unique and extremely enjoyable to listen to. Johnny Max believes that the blues is the blues, regardless of how you mix all the styles together and instead of just doing one style, he offers us a well rounded potpourri of sounds, beautifully and texturally overlayed with his awesome big brass section, masterfully arranged courtesy of Johnny Johnson. "It's A Long Road" is the fourth Album by Johnny Max and it plays out just the way he likes it, and that is by way of a fun upbeat musical journey, interlaced with Rockin', Soulful, Boogie, and Beyond Blues. I happened to find a bit of this album to be reminiscent of the Chicago Blues Reunion. "It's A Long Road" starts out with the tickling of the ivories courtesy of Jesse O'Brien, whom also plays Wurlitzer and Organ on this release. After a few seconds the Brass Section kicks in and we best be strapped in good, cause the show is beginning with a bang courtesy of this Rockin' Boogie Blues Number. The rest of the album peaks our interest with the Johnny Max Band delivering about half truly awesome soul and half straight ahead Brassy Rockin' Boogie Blues, for which Johnny Max not only shows off his steller vocal chords but also the bands unique and creative writing skills. For "It's A Long Road", Johnny Max not only used himself to his limit, but also his band, pulling out all the stops and giving us a nonstop thrill ride via his fun and entertaining method of delivering the message of the blues. With "It's A Long Road", the Johnny Max Band have certainly not decided to rest on their laurels and in essence have once again shown us how Rockin Soulful Boogie Blues is suppose to sound and I must say I certainly agree with that. "It's A Long Road" will surely please fans of the Johnny Max Band, and it is also going to attract a lot more new fans to this excellent band as well. "It's A Long Road" gets my highest rating of 5 Stars... Highly Recommended and Thoroughly Enjoyable... Review By John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network) Other Info And Reviews Tracklist
1. Daddy's Little Girl Listen To Samples Here... For Johnny Max it’s all about the music, and always has been. Although continually gravitating towards Blues inflected material, Max refuses to be limited and categorized, for everyone’s convenience, as a Blues artist. He can’t do it – his admiration for the likes of Eddie Hinton and Delbert McClinton won’t permit it. While his first three releases firmly established Max in the Blues idiom, it was on his fourth, the Juno nominated A Lesson I’ve Learned, that Johnny added to his Blues sensibilities, and found his groove. And that groove had more to do with Southern Soul than straight up Blues. Of note, check the title track whose chorus might have been lifted from the Dan Penn songbook. Max’s new disc, It’s A Long Road, picks up where “Lesson” left off – with a wallop! Partnering with a brand new band, Johnny lays down a dozen tracks with a heavy dosage of Gumbo R&B, nods to Rock’em Sock’em Soul, and hints of all-out Boogie work-outs and Tom Waits styled tonalities. Along the way, Johnny relates his most deeply personal stories to date. The core band of Max, (vocals), Vince Maccarone, (drums), Wayne Deadder, (bass), John Findlay, (guitars), and Jesse O’Brien (keys) is ably supported by a complement of fine musicians on background vocals and percussion, plus a full brass section led by Johnny Johnson. They all play an integral role in producing a fully realized Johnny Max Band project that sets itself apart from the majority of the offerings that a listener might find in the Blues category.
It’s A Long Road, with its many twists
and turns, is exactly where Johnny has always been headed and it’s a
worthwhile journey indeed.
The progression of The Johnny Max Band's
albums has been quite remarkable. The lineup behind him changes while the
trajectory continues upward......This ensemble has taken Johnny Max's
trademark rocking soulblues to another level altogether...... Additional Info... http://www.myspace.com/thejohnnymaxband
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