Donald Ray Johnson - These Blues: The Best Of Donald Ray Johnson

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:31
Size: 134.0 MB
Styles: Soul blues
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:01] 1. Ain't No Fun To Me
[4:42] 2. Gone So Long
[3:23] 3. These Blues
[3:54] 4. Always On My Mind
[4:06] 5. Slow Down Baby
[4:20] 6. Here To Stay
[3:12] 7. Me And Jack (Daniels)
[4:58] 8. Last Two Dollars
[5:35] 9. No Guitar Blues
[5:14] 10. It Ain't Easy Being Blue
[6:00] 11. Thrilling You Killing Me
[4:44] 12. Working Girl Blues
[4:15] 13. It's Time

Donald Ray has spent a lifetime dedicated to music. After some 40 years this Texas born bluesman is still going strong. A Grammy Award winner and triple Maple Blues Award nominee was voted Best Male Blues

Vocalist 2007 by Real Blues Magazine. Donald has toured with Blues and R&B artists Phillip Walker, Big Mama Thornton, Smokey Wilson, Teddy Pendegrass, and The Isley Brothers.

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Donald Ray Johnson - Travelin' Man

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:07
Size: 114.7 MB
Styles: R&B, Electric blues
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:37] 1. Travelin' Man
[4:22] 2. If Walls Could Talk
[3:52] 3. Always On My Mind
[5:04] 4. Last Two Dollars
[4:23] 5. Steamy Windows
[4:39] 6. Sugar Daddy
[3:10] 7. Me & Jack (Daniels)
[4:17] 8. Yonder Wall
[4:12] 9. Reconsider
[4:49] 10. Apple Tree
[4:50] 11. Who Is He
[1:45] 12. You Reign King Jesus

Donald Ray Johnson's self-released
 
Travelin’ Man is a self-produced set of soul-blues that demonstrates his mastery of the genre as he wraps his smooth tenor around a diverse set of covers and originals. Johnson cites Tyrone Davis, Little Milton, and Johnny Taylor as influences and pays homage to them with straightforward versions of “Sugar Daddy”, “If Walls Could Talk” and “Last Two Dollars” respectively.
 
The title track penned by Maurice John Vaughn, is a brassy midtempo shuffle with slithery slide guitar. It’s a perfect vehicle for Johnson, whose motto is “Have drum will travel.” The drinking lament “Me and Jack (Daniels) feature Sonny Rhodes on lap steel. Both tunes would be right at home on an Elvin Bishop album, as would the churning swamp rock of Tony Joe White’s “Steamy Windows.” Another Johnson original “Apple Tree,” evokes the Ecko Records sound with its sparse instrumentation of keyboards, guitar, and programmed drums; Gib Monks’ savory sax licks break up the synthesized monotony. The treacly torch song “Always On My Mind” showcases Johnson’s versatility, but it sounds out of place and disrupts the album’s overall tone. Johnson is a restrained vocalist who uses subtlety in lieu of emotional overstatement or sexual braggodacio. Despite a few questionable decisions, the unpretentious Travelin’ Man succeeds thanks to quality musicianship, sound production, and warm, supple vocals. ~Thomas J. Cullen

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Donald Ray Johnson - 2 albums: It's Time / Pure Pleasure

Based in Calgary, Alberta, Donald Ray Johnson brings his unique blues music to concerts throughout Canada, Europe and the US. Donald Ray has spent a lifetime dedicated to music, and after some 40 years in the industry, this Texas-born blues man is still going strong. Along with a 1978 Grammy, he was twice nominated for the Maple Blues Award, and was voted Best Male Blues Vocalist by Real Blues Magazine in 2007. Donald has toured with artists like Phillip Walker, Big Mama Thornton, Smokey Wilson, Teddy Pendergrass, and The Isley Brothers.

Born in Bryan, Texas, Donald Ray Johnson took an early interest in music, as did his older sister, Janice Marie. They sang in church and at family functions together; and at age seven, Donald became interested in the drums, beating on whatever he could get his hands on.

Album: It's Time
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:18
Size: 101.4 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:19] 1. These Blues
[4:21] 2. It's Time
[4:40] 3. Working Girl Blues
[5:35] 4. Change Is Going To Come
[4:15] 5. Heavy Love
[3:54] 6. Girl Friend Blues
[4:00] 7. Ain't No Fun To Me
[4:01] 8. Louisiana Country Girl
[4:23] 9. Watching You
[5:45] 10. Rainy Night In Georgia

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Album: Pure Pleasure
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:56
Size: 141.8 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[4:01] 1. Slow Down Baby
[3:39] 2. Rockin In The Same Old Boat
[4:16] 3. Here To Stay
[4:25] 4. Song For Perry (Walk Around Heaven All Day)
[4:38] 5. Gone So Long
[5:56] 6. Thrilling You Killing Me
[4:59] 7. Don't Let The Green Grass Fool Ya
[5:30] 8. No Guitar Blues
[5:12] 9. It Ain't Easy Being Blue
[5:21] 10. Names
[4:09] 11. Hey Girl
[4:31] 12. What A Wonderful World
[5:14] 13. Too Young To Know

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Donald Ray Johnson & Gas Blues Band - Bluesin' Around

Size: 103,1 MB
Time: 43:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Blues Soul
Art: Front

01. Bad Luck (3:16)
02. Bluesifying (5:32)
03. Ain't Superstitious (3:12)
04. Ninety Proof (6:36)
05. She's French (0:54)
06. Big Rear Window (4:07)
07. Distant (4:22)
08. She's Dressing Trashy (4:21)
09. Watching You (3:46)
10. Should've Been Gone (3:48)
11. You're The One For Me (3:52)

In 1961, Donald was introduced to high school band director Waymond Webster, who taught him to play traps on the drumset. By age 14, Donald Ray began his professional career with blues piano legend Nat Dove. Throughout his teens, Donald played with the two local bluesmen: organist Joe Daniels and guitarist Lavernis Thurman. They even played a live radio show every Saturday night.

On January 18, 1966, Donald Ray entered the US Navy, serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard. After two tours in Vietnam, he was honorably discharged and relocated to San Diego.

While working in the house band at the Downtown Hustlers Club, Donald met quite a few LA-based artists, including Lowell Fulsom, Bobby Womack, and Pee Wee Crayton.

Early in 1970, Don was called by long-time friend Nat Dove to play weekends in LA with Phillip Walker.

Some 29 years later, the relationship with the Phillip Walker Band still exists. By 1971, Donald had moved to LA to work with the Joe Houston band, backing some of the West Coast's top blues artists.

While trying to find a weekend gig, Don met songwriter/producer Perry Kibble, who was in the process of developing a group that featured the talents of two young African-American women (bassist Janice Marie Johnson and guitarist Carlita Durhan). The group later became known as A Taste of Honey.

Now living in Calgary, Alberta, Don has become a beloved and respected member of the Canadian blues community. Named "Best Canadian Male Blues Vocalist" in 1997 by Real Blues Magazine, Don was also nominated "Best Blues Drummer" the same year. He was also named "Best Male Blues Vocalist" in 1998 by the Toronto Blues Society, and was recently nominated "Best Blues Artist" by the Alberta Recording Industry Association (A.R.I.A.)

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