Johnnie Johnson & Friends have released a new album, I’m Just Johnnie. Marking twenty years since his passing, this project honors Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Johnnie Johnson, renowned for his lively piano performances in many of Chuck Berry’s classics (such as “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man,” “School Days,” “Almost Grown,” “Back in the USA,” “Carol,” “Wee Wee Hours,” and “Too Much Monkey Business).

The album is a fitting tribute that features guest appearances by artists including Bruce Hornsby, Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Rivers, and John Sebastian. This two-CD set includes a second disc presenting interviews with both Johnnie Johnson and Radio Hall of Fame and SiriusXM DJ Pat St. John, offering insights into Johnson’s career in one of his final interviews before his death on April 13, 2005.

I highly recommend playing the double CDs together (one music disc, and one interview disc) by playing the two interview tracks during the music tracks so that you get the whole Johnnie Johnson experience. Listening to one informs the other, and the effect is powerful and entertaining. The album is a fine addition to the blues shelf of your music library. It solidifies Johnnie Johnson’s reputation as a player of significance.