SUPER CHIKAN
What Can You See (Fat Possum)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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Kin to legendary guitarist Big Jack Johnson, and part of the legendary roster of Fat Possum Records, James "Super Chikan" Johnson is a unique bird in the folk/blues Delta region. You see Super Chikan favours the boogie style of choogin' blues, and he makes his point with an extra wavy wah-wah guitar riff to start the album. There ain't no primal, bare bones whoopin' and hollerin' blues here. No sir, Super Chikan plays long sumptuous guitar groove blues (nothing under three minutes) that owe as much to Curtis Mayfield as they do to Robert Johnson. While his contemporaries play exceptional drinking music, Super Chikan plays exceptional drinking and dancing music, and ya gotta like that. All of this doesn't really answer the burning question at hand: why not go all the way and become Supa Chikan? One of life's great mysteries I suppose.

© 2000 - John Sekerka