Summer 2018 is awesome!
Tremblant International Blues Festival 2018 https://blues.tremblant.ca/
Music Mountain Blues 2018 http://musicmountain.ca/shows/
Smokin' Blues fest 2018 http://www.smokinbluesfest.ca/
Road To Stanfest Songwriter's Music Camp 2018
https://sherbrookevillage.novascotia.ca/learning-research/road-stanfest-songwriters-music-camp
JOHN & NEIL'S ROCK 'N' ROLL POWER-DUO A HIT WITH AUDIENCES!
are packing a two man punch following
another successful tour of Europe, plus
a series of shows in nightclubs and
festivals in Atlantic Canada. (Scroll down
for some European power-duo concert
reviews.) "We can play it all in this format:
rock 'n' roll, blues, reggae, celtic and most
all styles in between."
The idea of the stripped down format was
to offer more ease of travel and financial
flexibility to festival and concert promoters.
"But this has turned out to be a barrel of
fun!", reports John. Fans are exclaiming,
"It's hard to believe it's just two guys!"
"Where does all that sound come from?"
"But it's just the two of ya!"
Says drummer Neil, "John and I have
always built tunes around a strong groove, now with the duo we have so much room to play
off each other. I really enjoy hearing every note, every frequency. It's an eye (and ear) opening
experience and a ton of fun!"
A simple non-technical explanation of John's guitar and bass combination :
"This is NOT a new fang-dangled electronic looping kinda thing. All the music is performed
in real time. I've been playing finger-style for years. I play the bass notes on guitar with my
thumb and send a separate signal to an octave box. Octave boxes have been around since
the days of Jimi Hendrix."
"The octave box creates a separate bass signal from the bass strings
on my electric guitar. I send that signal separately to a bass amp, just like a bass player
would plug in to his/her amp. It's just that simple." This concept is nothing new. Look no
further than awesome Juno award winning artists Monkey Junk and Steve Hill!
Beautiful Guysborough!
Gonna Be A Good One!
Pumped For Power-Duo!
BLUES-ROCK POWER-DUO A TRIUMPH IN EUROPE
John Campbelljohn and drummer Neil Robertson returned from a successfull tour of Germany, Czeck Republic and Switzerland with a renewed sense of vim and vigor. John's blues-rock fingerstyle technique playing bass, rhythm and lead slide guitar to Neil's steady rocking, swinging, shuffling drum groove made for an irresistable musical match. "We are keen on '17!"
Read the reviews...
"John's Power-Duo live is pure joy! You can see the fun in this project. John's songs bloom rightly, because he and Neil give it the gas. John entertains his audience with whimsical anecdotes from his long music career but keeps it humble. Here are two full blooded musicians at work, which despite the many years on the road, still have fun playing live and this lust is absolutely contagious!"
Michael Eckert, Ludwig's Live Concerts, Friedrichsdorf, Germany
"I could hear the people talking. They see a two man band and say wow! John's guitar and bass together with Neil's drums make the fans absolutely high!"
Thomas Hecht, The Laboratorium, Stuttgart, Germany
"No need for a bass player for this highly skilled Canadian power blues duo...look no further, John's got it !"
Florian Damm, Radio Okerwelle 104.6 Braunschweig, Germany
"No question it was super....nothing left to wish for!"
Harald Brueckel, Chabah Concerts, Kandern, Germany
DOUBLE DOWN BLUES EUROPEAN TOUR 2016
10/7/2016 Dos Amigos, Oberbuchsiten CHF
10/8/2016 Spitalkeller, Offenburg DE
10/9/2016 dolder2, Feuerthalen CHF
10/10/2016 Free Project, Heitersheim DE
10/11/2016 Mehlsack, Emmendingen DE
10/12/2016 Chabah, Kandern DE
10.13.2016 Meisenfrei, Bremen DE
10.14.2016 Klubhaus, Ludwigsfelde DE
10.15.2016 Ludwigs, Friedrichsdorf DE
10.17.2016 Town Library Hall, Most CZ
10.18.2016 Barnaby’s Blues Bar, Braunschweig DE
10.19.2016 Downtown Bluesclub, Hamburg DE
10.20.2016 Franzis, Wetzlar DE
10.21.2016 Ratskelle, Garching DE
10.22.2016 Gewölbe, Haiming DE
10.23.2016 Jimmy's Cafe, Altdorf DE
10.24.2016 Kofferfabrik, Fürth DE
10.27.2016 Topos, Leverkusen DE
10.28.2016 Laboratorium, Stuttgart DE
10.29.2016 Der Adlerhof, Bad Soden DE
John Campbelljohn Wins 2016 East Coast Music Awards Blues Album Of The Year!
John Campbelljohn Nominated For 3 Maple Blues Awards
2015 Songwriter Of The Year "Chin Up"
2015 Guitarist Of The Year
Canada's National Blues Awards Honour Artists from Coast to Coast !!!
Representing a diverse cross-section of the immeasurable talents of Canadian blues musicians, The Toronto Blues Society will be celebrating the 19th annual Maple Blues Awards by honouring nationally and internationally recognized Canadian blues artists from across the country on January 18th, 2016.
Leading the way with nominations is Hamilton's Harrison Kennedy with five, followed by Ottawa’s MonkeyJunk and its members, The 24th Street Wailers and its members, and Toronto’s Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar with four nominations. Receiving three nominations each are Montreal’s Cécile Doo-Kingué and Steve Hill, Dartmouth’s John Campbelljohn, Nanaimo’s David Gogo and members of Kitchener-Waterloo’s Soulstack. Quebec blues artists are well represented including nominations for Angel Forrest, Michael Jerome Browne, and Guy Bélanger to name a few. British Columbia’s thriving blues scene is represented with nominations for David Vest, Owen Owen Owen, Keith Picot and Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne among others.
Click here for more details - http://torontobluessociety.com/2015-maple-blues-awards-nominees/
John Campbelljohn Releases New Video "Meet My Maker" - dedicated to Stan Carew
John Campbelljohn raises the bar on his new release Chin Up
For immediate release:
John Campbelljohn raises the bar on his new CD Chin up!
Since its release in March 2015, Chin Up, the newest offering from East Coast guitarist John Campbelljohn has been getting great international reviews from critics as well as continued placements on the !earshot national campus and community radio charts. Chin Up features 12 original tracks covering a myriad of topics and sub-genres all highlighting Campbelljohn’s prowess as a guitarist and vocalist. From the up-beat opening number “The Mumble Boogie” the progressive blues sounds of “Meet My Maker”, the rocking blues track “Castaway”, and the folk blues based “How Stupid Is That”, Campbelljohn proves with each song why Blues Revue Magazine deemed him a “guitar-god-in-the-making”.
Here's what the reviewers have to say:
“Exuberance, energy and creativity make this a sure winner in the guitar-based singer-songwriter sweepstakes. If you don’t find this nifty little thing repeatedly jumping back into your CD player then you are living wrong.” - Blues Blast Magazine
“On his new album Chin Up John Campbelljohn delivers a harder edge and it works wonders. To make this album more diverse he continues to find ways to re-invent the blues genre and baby it’s all good.” - John Emms Blues Reviews
“The musicianship on this disc - from Campbelljohn as well as all the supporting players - is nothing short of dazzling, and even when he's spinning a yarn or telling a tale, you can see bits of your own life in the songs too, and that pulls us in even deeper. Chops galore delivering entertaining songs, Chin Up is perfect- I wouldn't change a note." - John Kereiff, Gonzo Online
“A heads-up to all blues fans: Chin Up is a winner.” – Kerry Doole, New Canadian Music
“John Campbelljohn has been riding the blues train for years now, and his latest whistle stop is a satisfying muscular set of tunes that balance out his strengths as a guitarslinger, singer and songwriter.” – Stephen Cooke, Halifax Herald
“Fans of John Campbelljohn know what's coming, those who don't know what's coming will soon be fans.” – Justin Stone, Fatea Magazine
Publicity
Sarah French, Sarah French Publicity
John Campbelljohn raises the bar on his new release Chin Up
John Campbelljohn raises the bar on his new release Chin Up
John Campbelljohn performs
Master slide guitarist and songwriter John Campbelljohn releases 'Chin Up'
Multiple award winning East Coast blues guitarist John Campbelljohn is set to release his 12th album, titled Chin Up on March 10, 2015.A master slide guitarist and songwriter, Campbelljohn hails from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, and over the course of his four decade-long career has won or been nominated for countless music awards including Maple Blues Awards, East Coast Music Awards, Real Blues Awards, Music Nova Scotia Entertainer Of The Year, Blues Recording Of The Year & Musician Of The Year.
His newest release, Chin Up features 12 original tracks covering a myriad of topics and sub-genres all highlighting Campbelljohn’s prowess as a guitarist and vocalist. From the up-beat opening number “The Mumble Boogie” the progressive blues sounds of “Meet My Maker”, the rocking blues track “Castaway”, and the folk blues based “How Stupid Is That”, Cambelljohn proves with each song why Blues Revue Magazine deemed him a “guitar-god-in-the-making”.
During his career John Cambelljohn has been featured on recordings and live shows that include names like Sting, Joni Mitchell, Emmy Lou Harris, Leonard Cohen, Joe Ely, Willie Nelson, Robben Ford & Alvin Lee (Ten Years After) as well as TV productions by Sony Music Entertainment. Rich vocals and distinctive slide guitar playing has made him a favourite at music festivals in eastern Canada & Europe.
John Campbelljohn’s sophisticated and progressive approach to song writing gives him a distinctive edge, mixing rock, blues, reggae, Celtic & country into his signature style. The result is a sound that can pummel the audience into submission one moment, while captivating them with its subtlety the next.
Good Morning Mr. Blue Sky
John Campbelljohn first got together with Stan Carew to write songs for Good To Go, East Coast Music Awards nominated...
Pedal Steel, Slide & Dobro
As much as I love doing my blues thing, another huge thrill is being a sideman on the pedal steel. Check out some steel and slide sounds below.
https://www.facebook.com/CampbelljohnSOUND/app_2405167945
Dunlop Capo/Slide Converter saves me a lot of hassle...
This little gem has been a big breakthrough for me carrying multiple guitars on the road. Strap it on your guitar neck and you have an instant, high action slide guitar or dobro styled "squareneck" guitar. For more information, click here. Click here for a Jim Dunlop interview with Capo/Slide Converter developer Ken Davidson.
Celtic Blues Steps Up A Notch!
Had a great week of gigs with awesome fiddler & fellow Cape Bretoner Dwayne Coté. Exciting things to come!
Proud To Be Jim Dunlop Artist
I'm very proud to have been recently added to the Jim Dunlup family of artists, alongside such greats as Billy Gibbons, Buddy Guy and Eddie Van Halen just to name a few. For more information click here.
NEW RELEASE For European fans!
"On the occasion of Canada’s exceptional Blues Artist John Campbelljohn's tour in September/October 2012 & Blues News, Germany's official Blues Magazine, proudly presents 25 selected tracks on a double CD. John celebrating his 40th On Stage anniversary with “Land Of The Livin”.
Greek Interview for Blues.Gr
Oh Canada!
CBC East Coast Music with Bob Mersereau Music Review: John Campbelljohn - Celtic Blues Live In Hamburg
With the news full of doom and gloom for the economy, I've picked up a recurring theme from the commentators. It's said Canada needs to lessen its reliance on our biggest trading partner by far, the U.S. With our economies so connected, we are hooked to a country that ain't exactly doing great these days. We need to strike up more trade with others that are doing well, such as China, Brazil, or Germany.Hey, some Maritime artists have been working that angle for awhile. Acadians have long been using the Moncton-Montreal-Paris pipeline to get overseas, touring all over Europe. Such New Brunswick acts as Lisa LeBlanc and Joseph Edgar are overseas right now, wowing the crowds.
Cap Pele's Melanie Morgan is rockin' the TV screen each week, climbing further up the ladder on CBC-TV's Cover Me Canada contest, but when that is done, she and country singer Kevin Chase are headed to China, and Chase has already toured Germany of late. There are lots of other examples. Bands from all over the East Coast have been invited to tour everywhere from Ireland to Australia, many of these connections happening at industry events such as the ECMA's or Celtic Colours. Simply put, why beat your head trying to break into the U.S. market, when other countries are inviting you, helping you get sponsorship, and putting you on festival bills?
Nova Scotia's Campbelljohn is one guy who knows this lesson well. He's been touring Germany for several years, and in fact is so popular there, he has a record deal in the country, and has discs come out there unique to that land, or before they are issued in Canada. This time, he's showing us why he's loved in Deutschland. Recorded with a loving club audience, Campbelljohn is in solo mode for this disc, proving his mastery at slide, mandolin, and fun. Mixing originals with classics, he slips back and forth between John the Maritimer on the road to John the veteran German traveller. His closing number in fact is called Autobahn John, a funny take on his speedy ways up and down the highways of his second home. But it's not like he's denying his heritage; lead track No Philosopher tackles a common problem here in the East Coast scene, which has often been dominated by Celtic music, or the "fiddle music" as you'll hear some complain. Campbelljohn sings "would it hurt your Celtic colours if I paint them blue sometime?" He, no doubt, has felt this more than others, coming from Cape Breton, and often being looked over in favour of the Scots-Irish tradition.
Listening to this disc, I often forgot it was a live recording, as the quality of his playing was at times astounding. The audience politely waits until the end to whoop and applaud. I know some performers don't like the staid crowds they find overseas, but if you're making a live disc, it's a blessing. He's in Germany right now as a matter of fact, in the middle of a two-month string of dates. If he keeps playing like this, Cambelljohn may help lead the whole nation into an economic recovery, as Germany will be after all our musicians.
