Johnny Fury

Johnny Fury may be drawn to creamy white Stratocasters and flashy flying Vs, but no matter what kind of guitar lands in his hands, the Austin bluesman always makes it sing. Add in his vocal and songwriting skills, and he’s a triple-threat talent.

On Johnny Fury II, the follow-up to his self-titled 2014 debut, Fury shows his prowess in soul and rock as well as blues and jazz, with a smooth, well-nuanced tenor capable of delivering splintering blues and affecting ballads with equal finesse. He’s already impressed industry judges; Fury was a finalist in the 2014 Jimi Hendrix Guitar Competition and a 2016 semi-finalist in the New York-based International Songwriting Competition. The latter nod came for “Without Me,” which appears on Johnny Fury II. It’s one of seven originals on the nine-track album; his well-chosen covers are Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me (the Ecology),” to which he added verses to further update that still-urgent environmental alert, and “All of Your Love,” by Chicago bluesman Samuel “Magic Sam” Maghett.

Not only has Fury carefully studied those who came before him; he also emulated their recording methods for this album. At Yellow Dog Studios in Wimberley, Texas, outside of Austin, Fury, who produced, recorded to old-school analog tape, which was transferred to computer for editing.

“The best of both worlds!” he says.

The same could be said of his music. Combining blues traditions with his fresh outlook, Fury creates music that could easily take its place alongside his heroes. And someday, it very likely will.