Johnny Iguana is ‘Live At Delmark’ With Chicago-Style Solo Piano

Johnny Iguana

How did Brian Berkowitz from Belleville in Essex County turn into a true-blue piano-humping Chicago Bluesman named Johnny Iguana? Dude’s played piano on albums by Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Derek Trucks and James Cotton (legends all) before signing to Delmark Records in 2020 for his acclaimed Johnny Iguana’s Chicago Spectacular debut which featured Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer and Little Ed. American Blues Scene magazine said, “Johnny Iguana sounds like a saloon pianist from the Wild West brought to the future.”

Now comes Johnny Iguana At Delmark: Chicago-Style Solo Piano. Don’t let the lack of band fool you. Billy Joel once wrote “and the piano it sounds like a carnival.” In Iguana’s hands, the piano sounds like a symphony. Hell, there’s 88 keys on a piano, and in the hands of a master like Iguana, the piano can stand alone and still enthrall. These 12 tracks were recorded in one take, no overdubs, no editing, just the soul of a man on a classic 1917 Steinway. He just sat down. And they let the tape roll.

Little Brother Montgomery’s 1996 “Bass Key Boogie” gets this party started before Iguana throws a curveball with Neil Young’s 1972 “Heart Of Gold.”  Since Iguana played in the band of Blues Giant Junior Wells, he just had to interpret his ex-boss’s 1960 “Messin’ With The Kid” hit. And since he’s a rock’n’roll kid at heart, he pumps the piano like Jerry Lee on Chuck Berry’s 1964 “You Never Can Tell” and even rampages through AC-DC’s 1978 “Riff Raff.” His originals move with spirit and flair yet he ends it all with Big Jay McShann’s 1969 boogie-woogie “Roll ‘Em.”

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Mike Greenblatt

MIKE GREENBLATT has been writing for Goldmine magazine and New Jersey's Aquarian Weekly for more than 35 years. His writing subjects fill the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He's interviewed Joe Cocker, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and members of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He was 18 when he attended Woodstock in 1969.

In addition to writing about music, Greenblatt has worked on publicity campaigns for The Animals, Pat Benatar, Johnny Winter, Tommy James and Richard Branson, among others. He is currently the editor of The Jersey Sound.

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