Anthology

JOHNNY A’s style often recalls Danny Gatton as well as some aspects of Jeff Beck and Pat Martino. His style walks the fine line between rock, jazz, and blues, often employing the whammy bar, adding to the texture of the music.

Johnny explains that in the studio he uses much more restraint than when playing live. He says he strives to ensure his style passes the test of time. Among his musical influences, he cites The Beatles, Everly Brothers, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, Jeff Beck, Steve Howe, Jimi Hendrix and Les Paul.

As a child, Johnny A started his love affair with music by playing drums at age six and then buying a $49 guitar at 12. In the late seventies, Johnny formed The Streets and garnered heavy radio airplay on the now legendary Boston radio station WBCN.

In 1986, Johnny’s band, Hearts On Fire, placed second in the WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble only to be edged out by Gang Green. As a sideman, Johnny played with former Santana percussionist Mingo Lewis as well as brief stint with original Credence Clearwater Revival drummer Doug Clifford and then with Derek and the Dominos keyboardist Bobby Whitlock.

Johnny then began a seven-year stint as guitarist and musical director with The J. Geils Band front man Peter Wolf. He played on Wolf’s albums, and co-produced one of them, Long Line 1996, as well as joining him on world tours.

In 1999 Johnny launched his solo career and independently released his debut album Sometime Tuesday Morning to mass critical acclaim. The album spawned the #1 single “Oh Yeah” across the USA. It marked the first time in over a decade that an instrumental had achieved the top spot on radio. In 2004 Get Inside was released on the Favored Nations Label yielding 2 radio singles, “I Had To Laugh” and the title track “Get Inside.” Johnny A.’s recent release (2010 Aglaophone Records) is One November Night. Johnny was also the recipient of The Boston Music Award’s – Blues Artist of the Year 2010.