Johnny A. has his own signature guitar -- a stylish Gibson equipped with tremolo bar -- and seemingly scores of signature guitar sounds at his fingertips. If he had trouble focusing on a particular style as a budding musician, the attention deficit is paying off handsomely now.
At the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis on Wednesday night, the Boston-bred virtuoso, who toured with singer Peter Wolf in the mid-'90s, casually set into motion a parade of champions. Seated on a stool and playing a colorful collection of original pieces and cover tunes in a trio setting, he affectionately saluted or slyly evoked Jimi Hendrix, Chet Atkins, Wes Montgomery, Chuck Berry, Duane Eddy and several other guitar icons without sounding overly derivative or tiresomely retro. "The Wind Cries Mary," for instance, cleverly combined Hendrix's patented use of an extended chord with a clipped funk beat, while "Tex Critter," a homage to Atkins, nimbly recalled the master's lighthearted and melodic touch.
Like many of his role models, Johnny A. is clearly more interested in establishing a mood than soloing, though he occasionally tore through some blues-rooted riffs. Imaginatively arranged ballads punctuated the show, with "Poor Side of Town" and "Wichita Lineman" creating atmospheric interludes. The guitarist, well versed in sophisticated harmonies and thumb-stroked octaves, also ventured into jazz territory with plenty of help from bassist Jesse Bastos and drummer Chris Farr.
The inevitable calls for an encore inspired a performance of "Memphis, Tennessee" that managed to pay tribute to Berry, Johnny Rivers and Bo Diddley in one fully entertaining swoop.
-- Mike Joyce
