by Christy Rodriguez de Conte
International guitarist, composer, and music professor, Joel Johnson, settles back in Tallahassee to share his musical passion at this year’s Cool Breeze Art and Smooth Jazz Festival, which runs April 13-15 at various locations around town.
Legends like George Benson, West Montgomery, B.B. King, Bobby Bland, and Jimi Hendrix filled the radio waves of a young Joel Johnson’s life. With their swinging bass sounds and sweet guitar solos, the blues awoke in Johnson a deep-seated desire to play the blues and its sister, jazz.
Orlando public schools limited Johnson’s access to playing in band and chorus, neither of which interested him. Determined to play on tour with Tina Turner and Janet Jackson, Johnson meticulously used his gifted ear to discern the notes and chords that made songs like Prince’s “Purple Rain” and any Van Halen solo so epic.
“I started listening to those guitarists that intrigued me as a child. I never thought I could figure out that complicated stuff. I certainly liked it,” says Johnson. “I didn’t even know how to tune a guitar … but over time, I started to figure some things out.” The same determination has since led Johnson to perform in 36 countries with renowned musicians like the James Brown Band, Dr. John, The Drifters, and The Platters.
In the early ’90s, Johnson was living the life of a rock star. He was touring the world as a guitarist. A stint as a pit player in the musical “Bubbling Brown Sugar” brought Johnson to Edinburgh, Scotland. He enjoyed connecting to other music and musicians there but felt the experience left him wanting.
Johnson was hit with the reality that although the life of a musician provided one with access to alcohol and a lively party scene, the one thing it did not offer was steady money. Johnson realized then that his goals were not to be famous and live a lavish loud life; he wanted to be boring; he wanted a career.
Johnson called his mother and, as mothers do, she simplified it all by asking, “What do you want to do?”
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