Johnny & The Mongrels — ‘Creole Skies’
Release Date: July 17, 2020

Creole Skies, the superb new release from Johnny & the Mongrels, arrives at the perfect time. If you are spending most of your time indoors, this album will transport you to the Bayou and beyond. Your soul will be grateful for the musical voyage.

Johnny & The Mongrels are a satisfying blend of blues, and Bayou, served with all the energy you’d expect from a New Orleans-influenced band. The collection of ten spirited songs was  produced by Joebaby Michaels and Scott Sharrard and was recorded at Dockside Studio in Maurice, Louisiana. 

What stands out is the way each song comes alive in the hands of these talented musicians. Every song is rewarding; each one gets the arrangement and performance it deserves. Thanks to the engaging vocals of Johnny Ryan, the album succeeds in establishing exquisite worlds wherein each song is able to deliver text and subtext. Giving the nuance of a lyric as much emotional volume as a song’s final crescendo is the habit here. The other artists are: Jeff Bostic – bass, Scott Sharrard – guitar, Bill McKay – keyboards, Eddie Christmas – drums/percussion, along with guests Craig Dreyer, Bill Goss, Roddie Romero, Charlie Wooton, Lee Allen Zeno, and Marty Rifkin. Will we ever get out of the swamp of this funky year alive? No doubt. In the meantime, fortunately, we can celebrate the here and now with the Swamp Funk (of a better kind) and Bayou Soul with Johnny & the Mongrels.