Johnny Ray Jones Mystic Chiefs

July 7, 2024

Johnny Ray Jones

Mystic Chiefs

Moondogg Records

Johnny Ray Jones grew up in the greater L.A. music scene where he was mentored by Sam “Bluzman” Taylor, in exchange for Jones’ services driving Taylor to and from his shows and recording sessions. Percy Mayfield’s widow was Jones’ godmother and she booked him at her club “Blues Unlimited”. Jones has performed with Big Joe Turner, John Fogarty, Phillip Walker, Lee Allen, and Coco Montoya. He has also shared stages with John Mayall, Leon Russell, Jeff Healy, Janiva Magness, Walter Trout, and the Blasters. In fact, three of the songs are drawn from the live repertoire of the Red Devil’s, the burnin’ 90s Los Angeles blues unit fronted by harmonica ace and vocalist Lester Butler and recorded at the storied L.A. neighborhood joint where the live “King King” album was produced.

Jones’ first album “Feet Back in the Door” was released in 2017. The album features all of the members of the Phantom Blues Band, including guitarist Johnny Lee Schell, the late keyboardist Mike Finnigan, bassist James “Hutch” Hitchinson, drummer Tony Braunagel, and the horns of Joe Sublett, saxophone; and Darrell Leonard, trumpet. The follow-up recording was 2021’s “Way Down South”.

This new album, also on Moondogg Records, includes the ensemble of lead guitarist Junior Watson, pianist Carl Sonny Leyland, harmonica ace Tex Nakamura, bassist John Bazz, drummer J.R. Lozano, and percussionist Stephen Hodges. They open the new album with “Automatic”, the first of three songs from the Red Devils. The other songs from the Red Devil’s Lester Butler are “Devil Woman”, “I heard mama cry”; and the shuffle “No Fightin'” as Jones sings “she got me runnin and hiden’ like a two bit gangster, running from the police”. Jones is a great vocalist.

Two songs were written by Willie Dixon, “Don’t Go No Farther”, “you need love…just come on home to me, I got to love somebody, somebody’s gonna love me”; and “I’m Ready” with the lyric “I’m ready for you, I hope you’re ready for me”, once again the harp and piano solos are outstanding. “Shake Your Hips” from James Moore, a.k.a. Slim Harpo, features more great harp “don’t move your head now…just shake your hips”. “I Wish You Would” is the funky classic from Billy Boy Arnold as Jones chants “early in the morning, ’bout the break of day; again with Leyland’s piano punctuating the lyrics. “Sugar Sweet” is another shuffle with Leyland again hammering the keyes. Two more songs are from Sonny Boy Williamson II, “Trying to Get Back on My Feet”, and “My Younger Days”. The closer is “I’ll Be Around” a slow lowdown blues from the repertoire of Chester Burnett a.k.a. Howlin’ Wolf.

The third time is the charm as Johnny Ray Jones and his band perform. Sung and played by the best, “Mystic Chiefs” is as close as you can get at home to a night in a blues club where the lights are low and the house is shakin’.

Richard Ludmerer
Contributing Editor/Making A Scene

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