Performances at The Blue Ocean
Johnny A
Friday, July 22, 8pm
Price: $25
with
Barrence Whitfield and The Savages
Bruce Marshall Duo
About Johnny A with Barrence Whitield & The Savages and the Bruce Marshall Duo
JOHNNY A
Malden, MA-native Johnny A has one of the most eloquent voices in modern music - and he doesn't sing a note. Instead he channels joy, love, humor and sadness through his guitar. Only the finest musicians have the ability to capture the nuances of life in sound, which puts Johnny in a very exclusive group of six-stringers that includes Les Paul, Wes Montgomery, Jeff Beck, Chet Atkins and Jimi Hendrix. The secret is his blend of melody, sonic definition, technique and that indefinable-yet-tangible quality called "soul." All the virtues of Johnny A’s playing are in abundant display on One November Night, a brand new DVD/CD set recorded live at Scullers in Boston.
Barrence Whitfield is a full-throttle soul screamer in the spirit of Little Richard, Wilson Pickett and Solomon Burke. He has been described as the owner of one incredible pair of lungs, with limitless energy and unmatched enthusiasm for his music and his audience. An Emerson College graduate and winner of seven Boston Music Awards, Barrence is also nationally acclaimed, opening for and playing with performers like Bo Diddley, Tina Turner, George Thorogood, Robert Cray, the Reverend Solomon Burke, Los Lobos, Taj Mahal, Richard Thompson, Etta James, Buddy Guy, and more. The band takes a break from their summer world tour to perform at Blue Ocean!
The Bruce Marshall Group has been performing and recording steadily since the early 1990s, delighting crowds and garnering rave reviews. Live shows treat fans to a soaring ride as they rip through a catalog of original material. The sound defies categorization, slipping seamlessly around blues, R&B, rock and southern boogie. The interplay between Bruce and longtime guitarist Dave Cournoyer is the heart and soul of their performances. The songs are mostly upbeat, but even those dealing with love lost and missed opportunities carry an underlying sense of hope and optimism. The band must be experienced live to be fully appreciated!
