John Long was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1950 and was first exposed to the music he’d make his life’s work not long after. By the late 1950s John was absorbing the sounds of Jimmy Reed, Buster Brown, Muddy Waters, Lightnin ’ Hopkins, Junior Parker, and all the rest of the R&B and jump blues of the day, and working on recreating those sounds with his own guitar. “Lost and Found” on Delta Groove is John Long’s first full-length release. So our local brother makes a debut album that is a fine vintage sound that he is very comfortable with. He moves easily through several variations of the delta thing. All great acoustic Mississippi sounds and with only a little help on cuts 3, 6, & 12 from the great Fred Kaplan on piano and some writing help from his main influence brother Claude. Most of these songs are pictures of the south. Listen with your mind.

1 - Hokum Town – Simple solid good slide work
2 - Pressure Cooker(‘Bout to Blow) – Nice harmonica addition here
3 – Hell Cat – Nice left hand piano in here
4 – Blues and Boogie Woogie – Traditional acoustic MS blues
5 – Foot Stompin’ Daddy – Simply the blues
6 – Stranglevine – Easy foot tapper and good harp
7 – Johnny’s Jump – Picture them dancin’ on the porch, river flowin’ by
8 – Mean Ole Rottin’ Ground Sloth – Now this is earthy
9 – Greyhound Driver – The link with the outside in the old south
10 – Healin’ Touch – Nice gentle sound with great words
11 &12 – Leavin’ St Louis – Great ending cut

Cut by cut this is a time warp of Delta Music in a contemporary studio and a damn fine album it is. Thanks John.