The Best Guitarist You’ve Never Heard

Back in 2015, I posted about the late Jef Lee Johnson, a unique guitarist who never achieved the fame his talent deserved, possibly due to his hit and miss performances. Thanks to European television and uvisniyellow we have these four videos of one of his hits. Enjoy!

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Jungle (For Jef) A Jef Lee Johnson Tribute

Last spring I did a post on the late Jef Lee Johnson, a distinctive guitarist I felt not enough people knew about during his lifetime, let alone since he died. Apparently Jimi Hazel of 24-7 Spyz felt the same and arranged a tribute recording, rounding up some of the top Afro-American rock guitarists of our time to participate. Here is the video of the tune “Jungle (For Jef)”

and Hazel’s explanation on how it came together.

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Introducing: Jef Lee Johnson

Jef Lee Johnson was one of those unrecognized genius guitarists who haunt the history of the instrument. His is not exactly a local hero story: where a brilliant guitarist labors in the neighborhood clubs, unknown to anyone outside his town. Johnson was respected widely enough to have worked with: George Duke, Al Jarreau, Patti Labelle, James Carter, Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, Mariah Carey, Stanley Clarke, Aretha Franklin, Ronald Shannon Jackson, McCoy Tyner, Esperanza Spalding, Chaka Khan, David Sanborn, and a host of others. It is more a tale of a talent who never broke out as a solo artist, failing to find the wider recognition brought about by your name on the marquee.

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