“There is a man who lives a life of danger…”
50 years ago, a young blues rocker by the name of Johnny Rivers performed with his band at the fledgling club called the Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip, and through the 2 score and ten years, is the last man standing against the onslaught of trends ranging from the British Invasion, Psychedelic Rock, Progressive Rock, disco, punk, glitter, indie and beyond. Together with singer/songwriter Jimmy Webb, Rivers showed that through a half century of trends, what lasts (besides faith, hope and love) is the pop musical triune of blues, melody and grit.
Jimmy Webb started things off at the piano delivering songs that made hits for pop, country, rock and Motown artists. His reading of “Galveston” (“war songs keep coming back in style” he quipped) transcended eras while his take of “Wichita Lineman” was timeless. A song such as MacArthur Park (“lot of people have trouble with it!” he joked)showed that his voice still had a rich range, while “By The Time I Get to Phoenix” closed the set with a visceral impression of a broken relationship. Where are composers like this these days?
Looking sharp and professional in a black jacket, shirt, slacks and boots, and slinging his guitar like a ringin’ a bell, Johnny Rivers fronted a hopping 6 piece band and 5 backup vocalists that showed that the base of American music, the blues, fits into every worthwhile genre that pop music can deliver. Opening with a gospel-blues of “Midnight Special,” and with his voice in impressively rich tone (in fact, BETTER when compared to the originals that I took in on the way home), Rivers went straight ahead with the blues on Rimmy Rogers’ “Chicago Bound.” He then infused with jazz riffs on “The Snake” (never noticed “Work Song” in it before), Boogied via Kansas City on “Mountain of Love” and hit Chess Records on Willie Dixon’s “Seventh Son.” Via New Orleans, Rivers and blues went with “Rockin’ Pneumonia” after he took in a couple of acoustic tunes (one with Webb) on romantic pieces such as “Slow Dancing.” Rivers’ kept rolling along with his journey, with a shuffling backbeat taking you to Beale Street on “Memphis” before closing the rousing set with a fist pumping “Secret Agent Man.” By the end of the exciting evening, Rivers and his approach to blues and rock was summarized by a Webb line, “I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time.” Old man Rivers keeps on (rockin’ and ) rollin’ along.
www.johnnyrivers.com