A
Nordic With A Southern Sound
01.My Little QT
02.Let Me Be Your Little Dog
03.Can't Get That Stuff No More
04.I Can's Hold Out
05.Last Fair Deal Goin'Down
06.Come On In My Kitchen
07.Gypsy Woman
08.Do't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down
Blues singer – Bottleneck guitar player – Songwriter
I´ve been playing blues for a long time with different bands. It all began electric, kind of a blues-rock with lots of screaming guitars.. With age came the love for softer pure acoustic music. Acoustic blues won my heart!!I´m best described as a mix of old-timey slideguitar Delta/Country blues and Spirituals that have been heard and felt by audiences on numerous concerts and shows around Scandinavia and Europe. Done some very well received US gigs in the Mississippi delta too, without a doubt the most interesting tour I’ve done, I mean, it’s the birthplace of the blues, to play there gave me a strange but wonderful feeling of “being at home”..The heart in my music is the genuine sound of resonator guitars, when performing, me and my bands also play piano, pump-organ, washboard, harmonica, double-bass, mandolin, kazoo and other typical instruments of the golden era! And what a wonderful sound they all make!!
Why this
name? Bottleneck John..
It´s a cool old-timey name that tells what I´m all about!! Blues/Spirituals from
the 20´s and 30´s played with a bottleneck on my National resonator guitars..!!
About playing live?
Oh yes!! That´s my life.. I LOVE IT!! Anywhere where there´s a need for real old
blues.. I´ll be there!! Lately it´s been a constant travelling around to do
gigs, solo and in bands.
A highlight so far is me playing in front of nearly one MILLION people in Swedish national television!! That was something extraordinary..
I´m doing Radio & TV shows in Scandinavia, and bluesfestivals all over Europe, from Scotland in the north to Italy in the south.. Did a USA tour too in October 2006, played many gigs in the Mississippi delta region, one gig was at the Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival in Helena (formerly known as the King Biscuit Bluesfestival) This was just awesome!
My music has been played on radio stations all over this globe, Italy, Holland, Germany, the US, the UK, Australia, Mexico, Argentina and Africa to name a few!! I feel truly blessed that people seem to like my music and give me the opportunity to perform it live!
Band
History:
Been playin´ the blues for a long time..
Nowadays I think about what the the gig requires, and then if needed I put a band together. But I also like the solo and duo format! Got lots of good friends, great musicians!
For more info about my bands( I do have a few..) Check us out at my web site!!
Equipment
used:
Voice, guitars and one foot stompin’ the rhythm on the floorboards..
I love my resonator guitars!! And I’ve got some good acoustics..
I use both
singlecones and tricones while playing live and recording!!
Got a whole lot of old and interesting guitars..
My oldest playable acoustic is dating from 1840/50!! They sure got lives of their own..
“..an artist who expresses his extraordinary talent with the voice of Son House, the cumulated writing talent of Robert Johnson and Blind Willie Johnson, the heart and the emotion of Eric Bibb! Extraordinary!..” David Fraternali, Bluescat.ch, Switzerland
“..Stirring guitar work on tracks like “D-jam” and “G-jam” and if you get hold of this CD you’ll return again and again to the ghostly tones of “Blind Willie’s tune” which effortlessly gives Ry Cooders “Paris, Texas” a good run for it’s money. If we can get Bottleneck John over to the UK for some dates he would open a few eyes and ears. Excellent stuff – the Van Gogh of European bluesmen – more power to your elbow! ..” Roy Bainton, Blues Matters Magazine, UK
”..He not only has the licks both on the Guitar and Vocally but he can create a mood.
If you close your eyes he'll take you somewhere else man. Not many people can do that..!!!..” Ed Pavy, Canada
”..Wow, this man has real talent. I'm from Perth, Australia and just discoverd the blues.
I am a Keb Mo and Eric Bibb fan but I tell you what this talent is equal to those
two
classy acts. I recommend Bottleneck John for any blues collectors mix.
Keep them comin Bottleneck John, this is true blues at its best...”
Greg Buck,
Australia
"..His greatest power lies within his nuanced voice. " County Newspaper, Sweden
"..Acoustic roots blues with an open soul and a big heart!.." County Newspaper, Sweden
"..You can't be from Sweden - not with that raw blues sound in your blood and in your music.." Jack Walsh, USA
"..Bottleneck John's voice is incredible, and his simple somewhat percussive guitar accompaniment effective for his rendition..” P. Michael, USA
” ..I think Im going to burn my guitar and never sing again.
The moment this guy starts singing......you KNOW you are listening to an ancient, weathered black man from the southern US, who has endured all the hardships that life could possibly offer. The toils, trouble and inhumanities have burned an imprint into a hardened soul..
Great. Then you check out his page and find out that he’s a thirty something as white as you can get guy from Sweden.
This music is nothing short of incredible for the genre. Either this gentleman has been possessed by the spirit of a roaming Delta Juke-Joint long dead madman, or he’s just plain genius.
Im pretty sure it’s the latter.
The depth of soul in this man's voice is at the least stirring, and at the most.....entirely captivating. To top it all off......his traditional bottleneck accompaniment on vintage pre-war resonator tricones and duolian’s are so perfect for the genre that if we added some phono hissing and record scratches......we wouldn't know that we weren't listening to a lost blues legend.
I don't say any of this lightly.
Wow.
If you like the Blues, and particularly the Delta (country) Blues, I can almost garuntee that you will hang on to this guy's Mp3's.
Absolutely
amazing John.. Amazing..”
Frank the wonder budgie reviews,
USA
"..The most exciting artist of the year, Johan Eliasson, who sings with, most likely, the blackest voice in Sweden and plays slide guitar in the same eerie haunted way as Blind Willie Johnson.." Swedish National Radio SR P4
”..I've been listening over and over to your mp3 tracks for the last three weeks. That's all I care about! Thanx very much. You inspired me to improve my singing.
You put so
much soul in your thing it's amazing! Thanx very much. Keep on keepin' on..”
Vince,
Montréal,
Canada
“..I'm an
Australian country blues fan and new convert (no pun intended) to Blind Willie
Johnson. I found your Soundclick page via the Big Road Blues discussion forum,
and I really am speechless.
Your 'Blind Willies Tune' is haunting. I've had it in steady rotation for a few
days. I was all set to go off to my local music store to hunt down some more
bottleneck albums in the blues section, but your page has me sitting at the
computer listening for hours. I play a Delphi Vintage Steel myself, and your
playing is so impressive. So clean, so beautifully articulated, so full of
feeling.
Thankyou so much for these songs. I'd love to have you tour here in Australia
one day.
Again, thankyou for your music. You are supremely gifted..”
For info & booking:
Johan
Eliasson
Brunflovägen 71 B
831 46 Östersund
Sweden
+46(0)70642 67 22 or +46(0)63 126416
Email:
info@johaneliasson.com
Homepage: http://www.johaneliasson.com/