Johnny A.

Rock N Blues Summit James Montgomery Band w/ special guest guitarist Johnny A & The Uptown Horns (Rolling Stones) Jon Butcher & 360º w/ John Anthony & Jeff Keithline JAMES MONTGOMERY When blues legend James Montgomery plays the harmonica, he "brings it on home". Whether it's recording with Kid Rock, sitting in with Gregg Allman, or fronting his hot band of thirty years, Montgomery plays with authority. While growing up in Detroit he learned first-hand from the masters - James Cotton, John Lee Hooker, and Jr. Wells - at the legendary "Chessmate." Over the years, he's carried on in the tradition and continues to be a vital presence in Blues as one of the most dynamic performers on the scene. In 1970, while attending Boston University, Montgomery formed the James Montgomery Band. His inimitable (oh yeah, he majored in English) harmonica playing combined with his incredibly energetic live shows led to the band's quick ascension on the New England music scene. Within two years, the James Montgomery band was among the hottest acts in Boston along with J. Geils and Aerosmith, and they were quickly signed to a multi-album deal with Capricorn Records. Since that time, James has recorded six albums. His first, "First Time Out" has been remastered and re-released by MRG/Capricorn. Other include "James Montgomery Band" on Island Records which was number nine on Billboard's national playlist, "Duck Fever" with members of the David Letterman Band, "Live Trax," with the Uptown Horns (the Rolling Stones' horn section), and his release on Tone-Cool, "The Oven Is On." JON BUTCHER Grammy-nominated guitarist Jon Butcher ( and founder of The JON BUTCHER AXIS ) is one of a select handful of influential recording artists who emerged from the legendary ’80s Boston music scene. MTV videos, hit songs, and incendiary live performances comprise the underpinnings of a rich music career that continues today. Jon Butchers’ signature sound features his powerful soul-infused vocals; and his guitar work reflects a skillful mix of Rock and R&B, Funk and Soul, Jazz and Americana, all of it focused through a prism built from the Blues. Jon’s powerhouse live performances with bandmates Jeff Keithline(bass), John Anthony(drums) and Mitch Chakour( keys) are electrifyng and not surprisingly, sold out. With a discography of 20 plus international LP and CD releases, international critical and Guitar Media acclaim it’s hard to argue the point. Read more about Jon in this months’ issue of Vintage Guitar Magazine! JOHNNY A Very few people ever get honored with a Gibson Signature Guitar. Johnny A. is one of them. Carrying on in a time when the guitar was the voice, he is a true artist who uncannily knows what to play at the right time without resorting to needless flash. Yet, he can still rock with the best of them, having sheared stages with Jeff Beck, B.B. King amongst others, as well as performing at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads, Montreal’s Jazz and Tokyo’s Fuji Rock Festivals. He had a #1 Triple A Radio hit with his song “Oh Yeah”, the first time an instrumental song went to number one in a decade. And during the course of selling 150,000+ albums Johnny’s credo has been the same. “I’ve never been into music for anything but music’s sake”. The new album “Driven” has a more potent, backbeat-grooved rock sound than his two previous studio releases. And with ten brand new original instrumental compositions and one “classic” cover tune, it makes for a well rounded, diverse collection of songs showcasing Johnny’s unique style of guitar playing while solidifying him as one of the finest contemporary instrumental guitarists of his generation.