Johnny V's Acoustic Ramblers Rock the Joint November 15th, 2007
Johnny V forged his original fire-brand style of blues touring and performing internationally for more than three decades. The term "getting in your face" has never known a better illustration than when the "Vmeister" starts firing volleys of scorching guitar passages intertwined with his passionate vocals. Like the original blues greats, it has not been an easy course for Johnny to chart in order to reach larger and more understanding audiences. It's his distinctive phrasing and monster guitar tones that make the V-man stand out. He's not a one trick pony or a flavour of the day, and has remained true to the form. You may hear hints of the great players he has studied, but his style is all his own and he understands the idiom right down to the tones, licks, and equipment. If you have ever witnessed one of his live performances, the first thing you notice is he always has the right sound for the song being played. Wherever Johnny V plays return engagements are the order of the day.
If not acting as a headliner, it's not uncommon to find him sitting in, supporting, or providing back-up for renowned blues statesmen. He’s garnered the respect of the genres finest artists and feels fortunate to have shared the stage with such luminaries as B.B. King, Larry Garner, King Biscuit Boy, John Hammond, Billy Cobham, Magic Slim, Otis Rush, Dr. John, Amos Garrett, Delbert McClinton, Pinetop Perkins, Eddy Clearwater, Sonny Rhodes, Frankie Lee, Larry Davis, Billy Branch, Mighty Joe Young, Honeyboy Edwards, Downchild Blues Band, and Johnny Clyde Copeland to name a few. Johnny V is about the Blues. All his independent recordings have captured the attention of industry professionals globally, and been nominated for Juno awards on more than one occasion. Even the recordings he played on with Canada’s blues godfather Richard Newell (AKA King Biscuit Boy) “Urban Blues Re;Newell” and Amos Garrett’s “Third Man In” were both nominated for Juno awards. Fans of the blues know only to well that if Johnny V is in the house, the joint's going to rock. As world renowned bluesman John Hammond said "Johnny V is a hard working guy who really plays the Blues".
