“Singer at Large” and recording artist Johnny J. Blair is known for his maverick, fast-paced mix of old school soul/r’n’b, psychedelia, punk/new wave, and pop music sensibilities, all informed by classical, gospel, jazz, and world music. Goldmine Magazine called his music “pop music with a conscience” while Spotlight Magazine dubbed him “the Harry Houdini of rock’n’roll” for his ongoing “escape from typecasts.” Other admirers include surf-guitar hero Dick Dale and British music legend Sir Cliff Richard.

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Urban humor, romantic abstraction, and bittersweet spirituality are images in Blair’s lyrics. His vocabulary is influenced by The Bible, classic comedy (Charlie Chaplin, Marx Brothers), film noir, the poetry of T.S. Eliot, and the writings of Raymond Chandler, Graham Greene, and John Steinbeck. Subjects include metropolitan allegories (She’s Not Some Animal), apocalyptic justice (Throw the First Stone), surreal road trips (Desert Ruby) and nutty nostalgia (I Wanna  Bein’  Pennsylvania).

 

Blair performs with “a vivid energy.” He said, “Here's my job description: Play songs that feed the soul and play them with passion. I hope to pass some of that on to the audience.” His typical concert set includes originals joined to wide-ranging covers, from glam rock to Motown to show tunes to spirituals. 

 

For over 20 years, Blair has issued acclaimed recordings—from the “new wave concept album” DOOR IN THE WATER, to the soulful masterwork FIRE, to the bare-knuckled acoustic “agitpop” of TREADMARKS, to the “Ziggy Stardust meets PET SOUNDS” of GRATEFUL.

 

Blair has collaborated with and produced a variety of artists--including numerous projects with Davy Jones of The Monkees. Blair played bass, keyboards, & vocals in Jones’s touring band, appeared with Jones on television and radio broadcasts, and was the touring bassist/vocalist with The Monkees 2011 Anniversary Tour of the UK and USA. Blair said, “I learned valuable stagecraft from David. He was like a big brother to me.”

 

In 2011, Blair released an "asphalt ballet," I LIKE THE STREET. Arguably his best album, STREET fuses a Velvet Underground/Roxy Music influence with glam rock, flamenco, and tango flavors, with musical support from The Badlees, Beyondo, and Mike Garson (David Bowie’s pianist).

 

This was followed up in 2013 with the acclaimed download EP HALFWAY TO DAKOTA, with drummer Prairie Prince (Todd Rundgren, The Tubes) and confessional singer-songwriter/guitarist Chris von Sneidern.

 

With three new download compilation albums, two musics-related book projects, and several production projects with other artists, Blair is back on the beat in 2017.

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Link to Facebook https://www.facebook.com/singeratlargejohnnyjblair/

Link to Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/johnny-j-blair​