Jobuk Johnson @ The Cowgirl

Event Description

Cowboy crooner and virtuoso guitarist Jobuk Johnson grew up in a musical family whose roots extend back to the Western Kentucky soil that produced such artists as Bill Monroe, the Everly Brothers, and the seminal guitar influence of Merle Travis. Jobuk’s dad, an accomplished bassist and guitarist, played the country club circuit from the Chicago area to the Catskills. Dad showed Jobuk songs on the guitar when he came home from the tours. “My dad showed me how to play a Les Paul tune called ‘Bye Bye Blues’. He taught it to me in a chordal style reminiscent of the old dixieland banjo players. I started playing fingerstyle guitar after hearing the folk music of Peter, Paul, and Mary and the song ‘Classical Gas’ by Mason Williams. Then a few years later I discovered Chet Atkins which really changed my musical life.” His passion for the guitar led him to attend the Guitar Institute of Technology. Now known as Musicians Institute, it is a world reknowned school for guitarists in Hollywood, California; founded by jazz guitar legend Howard Roberts. Jobuk was inspired by the beautiful chords from jazz masters encountered there. He learned everything that he could about chords, leaving the school with more questions than when he started. "I wanted to find out how many chords there are." Jobuk explained. Jobuk’s desire to find answers to his questions motivated him to move to the Rio Grande and resume his studies in the tranquility of the Chihuahuan Desert. In the following years Jobuk developed a mathematically generated system of chord voicings which became his “teacher” and helped him find the beautiful chords which lend so much expression to his playing. Jobuk downplays his scientific approach to learning. “When I play I don’t think about any of that, I only try to convey the feeling of the music.” Jobuk plays guitar like Chet Atkins sitting in with Bob Wills. His voice has been described as being reminiscent of a young Willie Nelson.

Website: http://jobuk.homestead.com/Index.html