7:00 $20
Delta Blues
“It’s been almost a decade since Super Chikan played a couple of amazing shows at Whiskey Junction. Now the rip-roaring pride of Clarksdale, Miss., is back at a rather different venue to deliver barreling boogie blues on his beautiful, stunningly decorated homemade guitars. A pioneer of recycling, James “Super Chikan” Johnson has made guitars from gas cans and ceiling fans, and no two instruments sound quite alike. Super Chikan’s brand of blues is deep, funny, joyous and pretty unique. Here’s an entertainer guaranteed to get any crowd grooving, and a songwriter who’s likely to tackle any subject — Mennonites, truck driving, Mexico City, yodeling — and make it compelling.” -Star Tribune
Blues Music Award winner James “Super Chikan” Johnson is one of the most unique performers in the blues world. Chikan pays homage to traditional Delta blues players while creating original new music with his homemade guitars and signature vocal style.
“He is one of the most original and inventive of artists playing today. …He can play the feathers off of guitars.” -Acoustic Music
In the Clarksdale, MS area, “Super Chikan” is probably best-known for performing regularly at Morgan Freeman’s Ground Zero blues club, and for being Freeman’s favorite blues performer. “Super Chikan” has toured and performed at festivals in Africa, Iceland, Japan, UK, Denmark, Canada, Mexico, Finland, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia and Switzerland, and has performed for the President of the United States. He was recently nominated by the Blues Foundation (for the second year in a row) the Blues Music Awards for BB King Entertainer of the Year and Traditional Male Blues Artist.
“…Chikan’s devilish sense of humor, lyrical wit, improvisational skills, and nimble guitar playing.” -Ameriblues
In 2010 he was honored with four nominations, including BB King Entertainer of the Year, Song of the Year for “Fred’s Dollar Store”, Traditional Blues Male Artist, and he won the BMA for Traditional Blues Album of the Year for his latest record, Chikadelic. He was previously nominated for the Best New Artist Blues Music Award in 1998, and has received five Living Blues Critics Awards. In 2004, “Super Chikan” received the Mississippi Governorʼs Award for Excellence in the Arts.
“…a unique brand of blues, soul and funk… never loses the power of the porch. Without a single sample or digital instrument, he has created a down-home party record.” -No Depression
• a great Mississippi Public Television spot on Chikan and his guitars