Scott Albert Johnson

Best Local Musician: Scott Albert Johnson

You’d never know Scott Albert Johnson has only been playing the harmonica just a few years. Around the time he turned 30, he picked it up. “I messed around with the harmonica. Very quickly I got addicted to it, and realized … that’s my instrument,” he said. You notice the harmonica first in his songs, and then the lyrics. This down-to-earth musician channeled himself into what he called an “intensely personal” debut album, “Umbrella Man.” These days he is working on his second album, and expecting baby number three with his wife, Susan Margaret. You can catch him at Hal & Mal’s Jan. 30. —Dawn R. Dugle - Jackson Free Press

"Scott Albert Johnson is a harmonica player of the highest class, and a fine and versatile singer and songwriter as well. He has been blessed with a beautiful, clear and unique voice, and his harp playing varies between steaming blues solos, Toots Thielemans-like jazzy stuff, and more subtle playing. His style intermingles pop, jazz and roots music and, of course, blues influences."
(Rootstime) - Rootstime [Belgium]

Scott Albert Johnson is a regular on Jackson's music circuit, playing at venues such as Underground 119 and Hal & Mal's. Fusing rock, folk and blues into a fluid, southern sound, Johnson can belt out a ballad just as smoothly as he can deliver a foot-stompin' jam song. And he's never without his trusty harmonica. The singer-songwriter cites Randy Newman and Van Morrison (among others) as musical influences, and it shows on his 2007 album "Umbrella Man." Look for Johnson to perform at this year's Mississippi HeARTs Against AIDS benefit at Hal & Mal's Saturday, Feb. 13. (?Maggie Neff) - Jackson Free Press

"Scott Albert Johnson is a virtuoso harmonica player. But he's also an accomplished singer and songwriter, as his debut CD Umbrella Man undeniably proves... Johnson's musical versatility is on prominent display on Umbrella Man, a disc that mixes blues, rock, folk and jazz into a varied and eclectic stew."
(Carey Miller, [Jackson, MS] Clarion-Ledger) - [Jackson, MS] Clarion-Ledger

by Andi Agnew
April 25, 2007

Scott Albert Johnson has been a fixture in the Jackson music scene since he decided to come back home a few years ago after living all over the U.S. The harmonica virtuoso has played around town with local artists from Sherman Lee Dillon to Chris Gill to the legendary Dorothy Moore. It is hard to believe, then, that “Umbrella Man,” Johnson’s new album set to release May 1, is his debut. On it, Johnson displays the confidence of a seasoned musician and employs the help of Jackie Bell, Skeet Myers and drummer Johnny Vidacovich.

With never a dull moment, “Umbrella Man” takes the listener on a ride with plenty of ups and downs. The album begins with “Spaceship,” a humorous Diddley-esque shuffle about extraterrestrial possibilities. Johnson then launches right into more serious rock, jazz-inspired tunes and even a toe-tapping cover of Wynton Marsalis’ “In the Court of King Oliver.”

Johnson evokes a laid-back, Jimmy Buffet feel on “Hollywood” and “Magnolia Road,” and then turns things upside down for what is probably my favorite tune on the album, the raucously infectious instrumental “Walkabout.” This song uses the didgeridoo in a completely different way, combined with Johnson’s skillfully relentless harmonica, for a gritty and danceable groove.

It has taken Johnson three years to bring this album to fruition. It has definitely been worth the wait. The “Umbrella Man” release party is May 10 at Hal & Mal’s, and Thacker Mountain Radio fans should also tune in May 3 to hear Johnson perform. - Jackson Free Press

"There is a warmth and a deep soul to this latest offering from harmonica virtuoso Scott Albert Johnson. Backed by the best musicians Jackson, Mississippi has to offer, and recorded in that city and in New Orleans, these tunes rollick and pulse their way into the listener's heart. Gifted with a clear, emotionally satisfying voice and a complete grasp on what makes an honest, thoughtful song work, Johnson invites us to dance the night away, get hot, get sweaty and get involved. There is a rare love and passion in these recordings, an uncompromising dedication and a joyfulness that sets this way above many similar attempts. This is the sound of someone who lives and breathes the music he creates and wants to share it with anyone that will listen." (The Next Big Thing) - The Next Big Thing [Germany]

"If you're a harmonica player in Mississippi, you're gonna end up playing some blues," says Scott Albert Johnson, whose debut mixes blues, rock, folk, and jazz, unified by first-rate harmonica playing. As a child, Johnson sang and played several instruments, but set aside music while studying political science at Harvard University. He received a masters degree from Columbia University and worked for a think tank and as a journalist while living all over the United States. Three years ago, Johnson realized his calling and returned to Mississippi, where he's performed with Marty Stuart, James Burton, Mike Mills, Jerry Joseph and others. "I just find music more fulfilling than anything else," says the singer/songwriter, who drew on his work and life experiences and wove them into harmonic reflections for Umbrella Man. The album artwork brilliantly depicts the "umbrella man" image while playing on the work of surrealist painter Rene Magritte. Johnson's musical debut leaves no stone unturned. [by Maureen Palli] - Relix Magazine (Feb/Mar 2008)

Umbrella Man sets itself up to be a clever, tongue-in-cheek exploration of what music can be—the CD insert features a harmonica and a sly reference to Magritte's famous "This Is Not A Pipe" painting—and for the most part, it delivers. Scott Albert Johnson is so unlike the rest of the musical world that it is hard to start listening without a slightly unpleasant initial jolt of surprise, but his unique sound is irresistible and virtuosic in its breadth. Is it folk? No, it's too polished modern, too rhythmic and pop-catchy. Is it jazzy? Yes, but also a little cabaret with a smidgen indie-acoustic and even a bit country rough-around-the-edges. Is it rock? Kind of...maybe it's a little bit ska. Confusion regardless, it is a convincing argument for harmonica riffs as an instrument of world peace and environmental restoration.

Although the harmonica may seem restrictively distinctive and doomed to stereotype, Johnson's astonishing virtuosity enables him to use this much-overlooked instrument to create an astonishing variety of sounds and tonal moods. The toe-tapping title track, "Umbrella Man," features a harmonica part that blends seamlessly into the twangy rock guitar riffs. "The Best of Me" flourishes a sweet, down-home country folksy in its introduction. And the no-vocals "Walkabout" is a deeply bizarre and intensely satisfying dialogue between harmonica and digeridoo. Yes—that long, Discovery-Channel-esque aboriginal pipe instrument that sounds like a rumbling of musical indigestion. Johnson may be the only man alive to incorporate a digeridoo without evoking Putumayo. (Next time, Scott, how about a bagpipe ballad? Yes, that's a challenge.)

Umbrella Man also bears witness to a rare grasp of melody and "songmanship." Johnson's pieces quickly familiarize themselves with audiences, but unlike much of today's Top 40 chart, they are complex enough to never tire out. "Turn Out Fine" is particularly so; weaving together exuberant, brazen harmonica notes with a wealth of jazzy piano exposition, the song is filled with hold-your-breath moments. One line is particularly memorable. As Johnson croons "well that was fifteen years ago...I'm married, got a kid / but I still smile after all this while 'bout those crazy things we did," the music slows and drops out until all that's left is a wayward trickle of piano after the last word. The next second, the band hits full melodic stride again. Amazing.

Of course, Umbrella Man is not perfect, despite all its strengths. Take the somewhat perplexing placement of "Spaceship" as the first track. Like all of Johnson's music, the song defies easy classification, but it does carry a strong flavor of square dances and bluegrass that can't help but marginalize the artist. Bye-bye, half of Mr. Johnson's potential audience; wish you could've stayed for the other stuff too.

Johnson's lyrics also occasionally leave something to be desired. Pieces like "The Yuppie Husband's Lament" are deliciously snarky, but the pop culture references are a bit belabored. And sprinkled amongst the other songs are alternating moments of brilliance and tepid clich'.

Then again, perhaps it is unfair to ask Johnson to be the perfect musician. After all, this Umbrella Man has already far outstripped the usual bounds of his mainstream counterparts, the pop chart-toppers. Still, it's tempting to imagine where this singer-performer-songwriter will be in a few more years. His debut album is a work of rare beauty and innovation. Here's to you, Mr. Johnson, and more of your shape-shifting harmoni-gui-sax-tar.
- Tuesday Magazine

*Interview with Scott Albert Johnson*
When Scott Albert Johnson graduated from Harvard in 1992, he didn't count on becoming a professional musician. In fact, it was nearly ten years before he picked up a guitar after the one he'd used for his entire college career got stolen, along with his band mate's car.

Suffice it to say, Scott's decision to return to his music has been a positive one for both him and his growing base of fans around the country. Rich, bluesy, and played with a heartfelt passion for the musical craft, his songs come as a refreshing challenge to a scene stifled by genre. His latest CD, Umbrella Man, is available for purchase through iTunes and on MySpace.

*Describe your musical career before and during your time at Harvard.*

In high school, I played in a couple of bands and sang in some choirs. I grew up in Mississippi, where a lot of people play music—it's kind of a standard thing to do there when you're growing up. Then, I was one of those kids who came to Harvard and thought I could do as many activities as I'd done in high school: I was a kicker for the football team, I wrote for the Harvard Independent, and I was in the Callbacks [a Harvard coed pop a cappella group]. Combine that with a pretty challenging course load, and I realized that what I was doing was insane. So I left the Callbacks, but I kept playing for the football team. I wasn't in a band until my junior year at Harvard, though I did play music when I went back home to visit.

*What was your Harvard band like?*

Well, as I said, I played in it for my junior and senior years—I was playing the bass, and someone else was writing the music. Halfway through my senior year, I'd left the bass in our singer's car, and then the car got stolen, so it was gone. By the time I was thinking about getting a new one, it was close to the end of the year, and I didn't have time to be playing—I had to figure out my life after college. I didn't end up buying another one for eight or nine years after that, actually. I just got back into it in the year 2000, when I was 30. But you don't have to mention my age, if you don't want (laughs).

*(laughs) I'm sure no one is judging. So, how would you describe your sound?*

Our drummer actually coined an excellent phrase for it: sophisticated Southern (laughs).

*Intriguing. Elaborate.*

Well, where I'm from—not just the city, Jackson, but also the entire area around it—has kind of been the cradle of American music. Jazz, blues, country, and to a large extent bluegrass were born just north of where I was. Growing up, I listened to the Police, U2, all kinds of rock and classic rock. So I'd say my sound is mainly rock ¡¥n roll, but with a lot of other influences. There's a heavy jazz component, some bluegrass, funk, even world music—one of our songs features a didgeridoo. We also incorporate some of the more singer/songwriter-friendly elements of jam bands—we don't play on for 10, 15, 20 minutes, but we do have improvisation. The musicianship is very strong. Everyone can play their instruments very well, which is not always the case with bands I like—some of what's out there, while it's good, is some pretty rudimentary stuff. Our music is a little more complicated.

*Have you explored the New Orleans music scene much?*

To be honest, I wasn't in touch with the Southern jazz scene much at all after leaving Jackson for school. I was gone from Jackson for 15 years, starting with the first time I left for Harvard. I would go back for breaks between school programs, but I didn't live there full-time again until 2003. For the first couple of years after I moved back, I would go down to New Orleans a lot to play. I would just sit with people in a jazz club, meet musicians somewhere or another, and sometimes they'd invite me to play. Are you familiar with Frenchman Street?

*Yeah...there are some great jazz clubs in that area.*

Some of the best. I used to walk around there a lot. It got to the point where I knew a lot of people I'd encounter on the street over there. If I didn't have a gig in Mississippi, I'd just expand my musicianship that way. In fact, two out of the ten songs on Umbrella Man were recorded down in New Orleans, in studios in Algiers. I played with this legendary New Orleans drummer, the Galactic Drummer, they call him. New Orleans was definitely a part of my musical life.

*Was?*

Well, then Katrina happened. Before that, New Orleans was like a second home to me. Actually, I got married on the roof of the Royal Orleans.

*No way! My aunt got married in that hotel.*

I'm not surprised—it's a beautiful place. Mine was a small wedding, really, just family and a few friends. The creepy thing is that it was three months to the day before Katrina. So when the storm came, we were still in the "thinking about it" stage of our marriage—where we would end up and things like that. Our first boy was born two weeks after the storm, and with all that was happening down there—all that's still happening—it's not really a place to raise a family. We have two boys now, and we're happy to be in Jackson. It's a cool place. While it's not New Orleans, it shares the same cultural things, the same attitude. I still go down [to New Orleans] a fair amount—it took me a while after things happened, but I'll go down there occasionally now.

*And have you visited Harvard at all since graduating?*

Well, I was in Cambridge on July 4th for a show at TOAD, the place in Porter Square where we'll be playing the night of the 27th. On that trip, we were here for just long enough for me to show my band around campus—I showed them the stadium and everything. I also came back for my ten-year reunion in '02, but I missed my fifteenth because my second son was only a week old at the time. I was here for Harvard-Yale in '04, and I reunited with some friends from the football team, some friends from Mather House.

*Ahh. So you're a Mather alum?*

Yeah. I hear the housing is completely random now, but when I was an undergrad, the process was totally different. You got a lottery number, and you picked your top three choices. If your first one wasn't available, they skipped you and went on to a second round. And it kept going like that. Mather was our third choice. Back then, the houses had more—(laughs) perhaps a little too much—identity.

*Sounds like navigating cafeteria tables in middle school.*

Totally. Kirkland was full of jocks, Adams was artsy, Eliot had the snotty kids. These are all overgeneralizations, of course. That's just the reputation they had.

*So, what excites you the most about coming back here to play?*

Lots of things, really. It's always cool to play on a campus. I'm also going to get to see lots of people I haven't seen in a while—a bunch of folks I know are coming to the show at the TOAD. Beyond that, it's always nice to come back here—Harvard was four formative years of my life. The best thing about them for me, being from Mississippi, was definitely the people. It was a culture shock, especially at first. But later, it was the reverse. The best thing was definitely being around incredibly intelligent and interesting people from around the world. I had the best conversations for four years. It was a very special time (laughs). Not that I haven't enjoyed the rest of my life, but I met some wonderful people. I remember staying up until 3am freshman year with people I otherwise would never have met—before or after Harvard—it's something you appreciate and value more as time goes by.

And also the Cambridge Queen's Head—we didn't have anything like that. It'll be a highlight to see the place, even as much as Harvard and Harvard Square have changed since I went here. I mean, the process of gentrification started when I was an undergrad—the places I used to hang out are Banana Republics now. Hey, have you seen Good Will Hunting?

*Yeah...I think I may have been about eleven...*

Well, Matt Damon was in my graduating class, and you know the part in the movie where he gets into it with that snotty Harvard student? That was at the Bow and Arrow Pub. They used to call it Art Bar—it was changed into a student bar while I was in school, and they had all students working it. I was the doorman. It was great—very earthy, locals and students hanging out without a fight.

Matt Damon and the girl in the movie kissed at The Tasty, which had terrible hamburgers, really. It was right in the middle of the Square by Out of Town News. I don't even know what's there now—probably some clothing stores. But hey, you guys have a pub.

*We do.*

That's such a nice thing. I don't know if this has changed since I've been at Harvard, but it used to be a really fragmented social scene, and it's nice to know that there's a place to play where everyone can come to the show.

*So, any advice for other multi-talented Harvard students out there looking to make the most of their experience?*

Yes, there's a few things. One is to do what I did, and one what I didn't. My approach was that I wanted to take advantage of as many aspects of the Harvard experience as I could, so I focused more on that than working myself to the bone in the library after hours—that's definitely not what I did. On the one hand, it was good. I'm glad I had a well-rounded experience, that I took it all on. On the other hand, I wish I'd focused more on studying, not because of grades, but because the resources are so great at Harvard, and I feel like I let that slip. So appreciate everything, academically and otherwise—take advantage.

Beyond that, after you graduate, make sure that what you do keeps you fulfilled, not just carries out your degree. I wavered—it would have been better if I hadn't. But in the end, I did follow my heart. Harvard does make you a smarter and more well-rounded person whether you like it or not, so do what fulfills you afterwards. - Tuesday Magazine

Scott Albert Johnson is a harmonica player, and what a polished and exquisite player/songwriter he is. Umbrella Man has proved to be an unexpected and very pleasing surprise."
(Merv Osborne, Blues Matters [UK]) - Merv Osborne, Blues Matters [UK]