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Bonefish Johnny

His name's borrowed from a Bahamian angler, his songs from a driftwood pile of rhythm and style. "I'm in the moving business," says Bonefish Johnny.

Crossing over between the indie, blues and jamband scenes for years with funk rock act Groove Thangs (signed to Epic, produced by Tom Dowd), eclectic barband Shack Daddys and his live Funky Roots Revue, Bonefish Johnny makes music to move to and be moved by.

It's always been a sound unbound. "How do you put '60's soul, calypso, reggae, blues, swampy New Orleans shuffles, trashy surf music, R&B, rap, funk, go-go, Carolina shag, Elvis and James Brown in the same sentence, let alone the same song?" despaired an early reviewer.

Now considered a genre unto himself, Bonefish Johnny may be lauded throughout the urban swamps of lower Florida but he's still being discovered in the civilized world beyond. His Anthology serves as introduction, but to quote a review of earlier recordings, it "only hints at the live power and appeal and songwriting diversity" of this singular artist.

Latest release Bonefish Johnny Sings The Blues finds the bandleader and cohort exploring a lovingly curated set of soulful songs with guest appearances by some of the international blues scene's top talents. The album's faithful renditions of classics and obscurities spiced with edgy originals reflect a keeper of the flame still blazing his own trail.

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Album Review

Bonefish Johnny: Sings the Blues

Read "Sings the Blues" reviewed by James Nadal


The blues comes in many shades and modes, and is ingrained into the character of those who follow its calling. South Florida may not come readily to mind when one thinks of the blues, but singer/guitarist Bonefish Johnny (John Stacey) has been playing his brand of sugarcane soul in the regions bars and juke-joints for over thirty years. Sings the Blues is a personal statement, a testament to those who came before, and a confession of paying dues.

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"The term 'guitar hero' is usually reserved for the fastest or flashiest fret shredders. But the expertise and affection guitarist Bonefish Johnny brings to blues, soul, funk, R&B and roots music makes him even more deserving of the title." — Jazz & Blues Florida, April 2011

"How do you put '60's soul, calypso, reggae, blues, swampy New Orleans shuffles, trashy surf music, R&B, rap, funk, go-go, Carolina shag, Elvis and James Brown in the same sentence, let alone the same song?" — Sun-Sentinel

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Sings the Blues

Self Produced
2016

buy

Anthology

Self Produced
2014

buy

Videos

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