JOHNNY A INTERVIEW
(Originally aired on February 25, 2010)
Boston native Johnny A draws inspiration from Wes Montgomery, Danny Gatton, Pat Martino, Jeff Beck and Chet Atkins to create his own distinctive instrumental music. Straddling the line between rock and jazz, he might begin a solo with a barrage of hot blues licks, then slip into slinky octaves, and finally grab his Bigsby to end a phrase with undulating vibrato. To hear Johnny A play is to hear the spectrum of electric guitar from 1950s rockabilly through contemporary jazz fusion.
One of the very few people to have a Gibson signature model guitar, Johnny A is as familiar with guitar design as he is with his fretboard. A beautiful archtop hollowbody equipped with a long string-scale, dual humbuckers, and a classic Bigsby vibrato unit, the Gibson Johnny A model works equally well for burning rock and sweet, swinging jazz.
Johnny A's DVD/CD package, One November Night, captures a smokin' live set he performed with his trio at a club in Boston. Our radio listeners in 2010 were among the first to hear this music as we previewed tracks ahead of the official March 2010 release. In our exclusive interview, Johnny A discusses recording One November Night, his signature Gibson guitar, and his influences.