Johnny+copeland

Johnny Copeland's tenure on Rounder Records was mostly productive. He made several albums that ranged from decent to very good, increased his audience and name recognition, and got better recording facilities and company support than at most times in his career. The 15 numbers on this anthology cover four Rounder sessions, and include competent renditions of familiar numbers. But what makes things special are the final three selections; these were part of Copeland's superb and unjustly underrated Bringin' It All Back Home album, recorded in Africa, which matched Texas shuffle licks with swaying, riveting African rhythms.

Cray found himself in some pretty intimidating company for this Grammy-winning blues guitar summit meeting, but he wasn't deterred, holding his own alongside his idol Albert Collins and Texas great Johnny Copeland. Cray's delivery of Muddy Waters' rhumba-rocking "She's into Something" was one of the set's many highlights.

If you're talking about packaging, the flaws of this disc are considerable. Comprised of 14 songs from 1960-1990 (most from 1960-71), the unifying theme is that all of them are taking from Houston recording sessions. But while recording dates and some personnel are noted, the original labels and dates of release are not. Furthermore, although the liner notes give a reasonable overview of Copeland's career, the tracks on this specific compilation are not discussed. And, putting the boot in, the cuts are not sequenced chronologically, but arranged almost as if someone had pressed the random button on a CD remote. Now, having aired all those complaints, the music is very good. These are fiery, committed performances in which the songs and arrangements often veer as much toward soul as toward blues. That's something that works to Copeland's advantage, both because he was versatile enough to combine styles well, and because it made him stand out from legions of other journeymen bluesmen.

Cray found himself in some pretty intimidating company for this Grammy-winning blues guitar summit meeting, but he wasn't deterred, holding his own alongside his idol Albert Collins and Texas great Johnny Copeland. Cray's delivery of Muddy Waters' rhumba-rocking "She's into Something" was one of the set's many highlights…

Grammy Winner Johnny Copeland departs from his customary big-band blues approach to hone in on this set of new songs with a tight five-piece band, including superb rhythm guitar from Joel Perry.

Johnny Copeland's eclectic nature is on display on Jungle Swing, an ambitious collaboration with jazz pianist Randy Weston. Weston brings a selection of African rhythms and melodic textures to the table, which are incorporated subtly into the rhythmic underpinnings of each song. In no sense is Jungle Swing a worldbeat experiment – it's just a small, affectionate tribute. Even so, the African flourishes don't dominate the sound of the record. Like always, Copeland takes center stage with his clean, precise licks. At this point in his career, he knows exactly what to play and the guitarist never overplays throughout the course of the disc. There are a few weak moments on the disc, but the sheer strength of Copeland's musicianship – and his willingness to stretch out ever so slightly – make it worth the time for any of his fans.

Catch Up With The Blues is an album by Johnny Copeland released in 1994 on Verve Records. It was recorded April 27–30 and May 1–3, 1993 at Kiva Recording Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The album was produced by John Snyder (Producer), and Jay Newland (Associate Producer). The album features Copeland on Rhythm and Lead Guitar and Vocals, along with Richard Ford (Steel Guitar), "Sonny Boy" Terry (Harmonica), Floyd Phillips (Piano), Bobby Kyle (Rhythm and Lead Guitar), Mabon "Teenie" Hodges (Rhythm Guitar), Randy Lee Lippincott (Bass), Barry Harrison (Drums), Robert Hall (Tambourine), Jaqueline Johnson and Jacquelyn Reddick (Background Vocals), and The Memphis Horns (Wayne Jackson on Trumpet and Trombone, and Andrew Love on Tenor Saxophone).

John Clyde Copeland was an American Texas blues guitarist and singer. Considering the amount of time he spent steadily rolling from gig to gig, Johnny "Clyde" Copeland's rise to prominence in the blues world in the early '90s wasn't all that surprising. A contract with the PolyGram/Verve label put his '90s recordings into the hands of thousands of blues lovers around the world. It's not that Copeland's talent changed all that much since he recorded for Rounder Records in the '80s; it's just that major companies began to see the potential of great, hardworking blues musicians like Copeland. Unfortunately, he was forced to slow down in 1995-1996 because of heart-related complications, yet he continued to perform shows until his death in July of 1997. In 1983, he was named Blues Entertainer of the Year by the Blues Foundation. He is the father of blues singer Shemekia Copeland. In 2017, Copeland was posthumously inducted in to the Blues Hall of Fame.