Rocks
Bear Family
*****
La présence de Johnny "Guitar" Watson dans les charts R&B, de 1955 à 1995, témoigne d'une qualité rare, celle d'un artiste sachant évo-luer, s'adapter. Ce qu'il ne fit jamais au prix de compromissions opportu-nistes. Ce volume de la série "Rocks" de Bear Family s'intéresse forcément à la première décennie de sa car-rière, celle des années 1950. Le jeune Texan émigré à Los Angeles débuta comme pianiste et chanteur de l'orchestre de Chuck Higgins (Motor head baby). Vite repéré, il enregistre sous le nom de Young John Watson pour Federal d'abord comme pianiste (son Highway 60 doit autant à Amos Milburn qu'à Willie Mabon!), mais, dès 1954, c'est à la guitare qu'il va imprimer sa marque. Les influences de Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown et de Guitar Slim sont per-ceptibles, mais il va développer son propre langage, très expressif et immédiatement identifiable. Passé sur
RPM, il obtient un premier succès en reprenant Those lonely, lonely nights du guitariste néo-orléanais Earl King. Fait rare, les deux versions se classent dans le Top 10 à quelques semaines d'intervalle! Il enregistre ensuite sur Keen (Gangster of love, démarque de son Love bandit confié aux Cadets sur Modern), Class, Goth, Arvee, Escort avant de retrouver King pour une série exceptionnelle de réussites comme Sweet lovin' mama et, le summum, Cuttin' in (S'cuse moi part haire pour la VF l), semi-ballade tire-larmes, chantée passionnément sur un arrangement de cordes mé-morable! Outre ses qualités de guitariste (qui n'échappèrent pas à Frank Zappa ou à Jimmie Vaughan), JGW était un excellent chanteur, influencé par Ray Charles (You better love, I say I love you), doté d'un sens de l'humour décapant (Gangster of love est digne des Coasters). Cette compilation rend justice à sa période blues, une autre consacrée aux faces funk sur DJM serait tout aussi pertinente !
Jacques Périn
Rocks
Bear Family
*****
The presence of Johnny “Guitar” Watson in the R&B charts from 1955 to 1995 is testament to a rare quality: that of an artist who knows how to evolve and adapt. Which he never did at the cost of opportunistic compromises. This volume of the Bear Family “Rocks” series necessarily focuses on the first decade of his career, that of the 1950s. The young Texan who had emigrated to Los Angeles started out as pianist and singer in the orchestra of Chuck Higgins (Motor head baby). Quickly spotted, he recorded under the name Young John Watson for Federal, first as a pianist (his Highway 60 owes as much to Amos Milburn as to Willie Mabon!), but, from 1954, it was on the guitar that he made his mark. The influences of Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and Guitar Slim are perceptible, but he went on to develop his own highly expressive and immediately identifiable language. He appeared on
RPM, and achieved his first success with a cover of Those lonely, lonely nights by the New Orleans guitarist Earl King. Unusually, the two versions reached the Top 10 within a few weeks of each other! He then recorded on Keen (Gangster of love, a departure from his Love bandit entrusted to the Cadets on Modern), Class, Goth, Arvee, Escort before reuniting with King for an exceptional series of successes such as Sweet lovin' mama and, the pinnacle, Cuttin' in (S'cuse moi part haire for the French version), a tear-jerking semi-ballad sung passionately to a memorable string arrangement! In addition to his qualities as a guitarist (which did not escape the notice of Frank Zappa or Jimmie Vaughan), JGW was an excellent singer, influenced by Ray Charles (You better love, I say I love you), with a caustic sense of humor (Gangster of love is worthy of the Coasters). This compilation does justice to his blues period, another one devoted to the funk sides on DJM would be just as relevant!
Jacques Périn
