Lefty Dizz and Carlos Johnson The Healer (blues)(mp3@320)[roger

CARLOS JOHNSON & LEFTY DIZZ THE HEALER
Label: Wolf [CD 120.814]
Format: Mp3@320



This is the story of this recordings that Wolf is now presenting. When we started producing shows there was always the intention to hire Magic Slim. We had already done shows with James Cotton and Hubert Sumlin in December 1992 and Jimmy Rogers and Honeyboy Edwards in March 1993. A few months later, it was Magic SlimΓΓé¼Γäós turn. j It was May 1993 when, together with my father, we produced a few Magic Slim &The Teardrops shows and, to everybodyΓΓé¼Γäós surprise, the second guitar that Magic brought over to Buenos Aires was no other than Lefty Dizz.
When I traveled to Chicago in December 1992 to book James Cotton I had found out that Lefty was quite sick and there was a show to his benefit and to raise money for his treatmentΓΓ鼪 so it was a miracle to have Lefty in Buenos Aires. Lefty opened up 2 shows for Magic, and that was memorable. Those who didnΓΓé¼Γäót know Lefty were just impressed by his show. All that led me to talking to Lefty about him coming back to do his solo shows, and maybe cut a record (the Blues Special Records label was already a project).
Those days, in Buenos Aires, I spent a lot of time with Lefty. He was quite sick and doctors had recommended that he eat every other 4 hours, so we had a lot of opportunities to go out and chat. He said that his days were counted, that he had never gotten recognition in the US and that he felt so well treated in Argentina that he wanted back.
Lefty was not only thrilled by this project, but also told.me that he had a few recordings he had never edited and he wanted them released on my label. It was then that he left me a tape of those sessions.
We talked over the phone many times after that and even agreed on a date for him to come back to Argentina but that could not happen. Lefty died a few months later. The project never happened. And the recognition he deserved never came.
Incredibly enough, Lefty never ever recorded full album for an american label, which also led to his feeling of injustice towards his career.

http://www.bluessearchengine.com/img/Carlos_Johnson.jpg
Carlos Johnson is a Chicago native and was born in the Windy City in 1948. He was only entering his teens when
he played his first gig. At that time, he idolized Jimmy Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Later influences were Otis Rush, Albert King, Elmore James and T Bone Walker. He is now a regular at such Chicago hotspots as KaterinaΓΓé¼Γäós, B.L.U.E.S., RosaΓΓé¼Γäós Lounge and Buddy GuyΓΓé¼Γäós. The guitarist sometimes appears with harp player Billy Branch and the two turned out a CD together.
Without a powerful electric guitar timbre to accompany his clear baritone voice, Johnson rings true throughout this highly recommended program of blues delights. About Carlos JohnsonΓΓé¼Γäós recordings, they were taken in November 2000 on his trip to Buenos Aires to play in the Blues Special Club. After years of playing with Chicago stars like Billy Branch and Son Seals, with whom he recorded his guitar, Carlos was ready for his own album. It was then we went to the studio to record what would be his first album: ΓΓé¼┼ôMy name is Carlos JohnsonΓΓé¼┬¥ ΓΓé¼ΓÇ£ Blues Special Records 9503.This CD was so well received by critics that made the Japanese from P-Vine put special attention in Johnson and cut his second solo album: ΓΓé¼┼ôIn and OutΓΓé¼┬¥.
It was a long session in Buenos Aires, and the result are these tracks here, presented without any special edition. The bond between Lefty and Carlos was very strong. Carlos told me that Lefty was the first one to show him a few tricks in the guitar, which made Carlos think of thim as his mentor, besides his great friend.
At my place I showed him a video of Lefty playing in Buenos Aires, but Carlos asked me to stop it because it was too touching for him and I could see it in his watery eyes. In this CD we find a few coincidences: two left handed Chicago guitarists who have no records on American labels (Carlos still has a chance) and with limited recognition by the main stream blues media.


Recorded in Buenos Aires, Argentina Nov.19th, 2000 (Carlos Recordings)and Dec. 1992 (LeftyΓΓé¼Γäós Recordings)

Tracklist
1. Call Me Carlos Johnson - Carlos Johnson
2. The Healer - Carlos Johnson
3. Jimmy Reed Medley - Carlos Johnson
4. I Got To Love Somebody's Baby - Carlos Johnson
5. Crack Head Woman - Carlos Johnson
6. Caldonia - Carlos Johnson
7. Woke Up This Morning (Dreamin' Blues) - Lefty Dizz
8. You Can't Make Love Alone - Lefty Dizz
9. Chips Flying Everywhere - Lefty Dizz
10. Hoodoo Man Blues - Lefty Dizz
11. Caldonia - Lefty Dizz
12. The Dozens (I'm Moving In On You) - Lefty Dizz
13. Sure Had a Wonderful Time - Lefty Dizz
14. Cloudy Weather - Lefty Dizz
15. I Found Out - Lefty Dizz

Tracks 01-03
Carlos Johnson, vocals, guitar
Easy Baby, bass
Adian Flores, drums
Tracks 04-06
Carlos Johnson, vocals, guitar
Danial Raffo, guitar
Mariano DΓΓé¼ΓäóAndrea, bass
Pato Raffo
Tracks 07-15
Lefty Dizz, vocals, guitar
others unknown