Johnny Heartsman
The Touch (Alligator) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
To those critics who say all releases by Chicago`s Alligator Records sound the same, we submit as evidence Johnny Heartsman`s debut for the label. Based in Sacramento, Heartsman is an exponent of the Bay area style of blues, a style with a jazzier, more ”uptown” sound than Chicago blues. Something of a legendary figure, he began recording in the early `50s and is said to have been a later influence on Jimi Hendrix. Frequently working Chicago these days, Heartsman is a triple-threat instrumentalist, sounding equally at home on the album whether soloing on guitar (”Attitude,” ”Please Don`t Be Scared of My Love”), organ (”Paint My Mailbox Blue,” ”Endless”) or flute (”Tongue,” ”Oops”). Not quite up to Heartsman`s instrumental chops are his vocals, and at times the material is thin, but if you`re looking for a good 2 a.m. blues album, Heartsman`s got ”The Touch.”
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