JOHNNY IGUANA'S CHICAGO SPECTACULAR! - Logo
A ferocious monster on the piano. A sly wizard at the drums. An absolute legend of the bass. One of the fastest-rising young stars of Chicago blues on vocals and guitar. That’s JOHNNY IGUANA’S CHICAGO SPECTACULAR! BMA-nominated pianist Johnny Iguana leads this band of dazzling musicians who mix classic Chicago blues with adventurous instrumental jams laced with blues, boogie-woogie and jazz. A fireball of blues-fusion energy and invention, this is an American roots band unlike anything else on the scene. Here they are, LIVE, in hi-def and hi-fi at the historic Delmark Records studio in Chicago (as American Blues Scene warns: “Hold onto your hats!”)

FULL-SONG VIDEOS BELOW!
(scroll down to the bottom of this page)

JOHNNY IGUANA'S CHICAGO SPECTACULAR!

The Band

Along with special guests from the upper echelon of the Chicago blues scene, the band JOHNNY IGUANA’S CHICAGO SPECTACULAR! have made a big splash with their self-titled Delmark Records debut. They break down genre barriers with a combustible combination of piano blues classics (fresh takes on Otis Spann, Memphis Slim and more) and new originals (which recall everything from Gershwin to Raymond Scott to Les McCann). Now, the formidable quartet are set to take their one-of-a-kind piano-powered show to the festivals and theaters of the world. Here’s an introduction to this remarkable group.

JOHNNY IGUANA

Pianist/songwriter/founder of the Claudettes, Johnny (a 2021 Blues Music Awards nominee for Piano Player of the Year) has toured or recorded with Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Billy Boy Arnold, Otis Rush, Carey and Lurrie Bell, Lil’ Ed, James Cotton and many other Chicago blues greats. As a session pianist, he has played on dozens of blues of recordings including multiple Grammy-nominated albums. In the rock realm, Johnny co-founded the punk-organ band Oh My God and the synth-fueled groups Them Vs. Them and Software Giant.
Johnny Iguana
BILL THE BUDDHA DICKENS

BILL “THE BUDDHA”DICKENS

In addition to his work as an esteemed and prolific producer/songwriter, this world-renowned bass-guitar virtuoso has played with Stevie Wonder, Chaka Kahn, Questlove, Ramsey Lewis, Pat Metheny, Janet Jackson, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr., Chicago Blues: A Living History and countless others. Bill co-wrote the song “In Case You Forgot,” which appeared on Aretha Franklin’s 1998 album “A Rose Is Still a Rose” (#30 pop, certified gold) and later saw release as a single. Bill is a Ropeadope recording artist and the winner of a 2019 NAMM Believe in Music Award.

STEPHEN HULL

Stephen Hull gives the blues community exciting evidence that the future of the music is in good hands. Born in 1999, this native of Racine, Wisconsin (just over an hour from Chicago) started playing blues at age 14 and never stopped, taking cues from Albert King and B.B. King as he developed his sweet, soulful guitar sound. Balancing that with his absolutely stellar lead vocals and infectiously buoyant personality, Stephen has been rising fast in the blues clubs of Chicago and appearing in blues magazines from Living Blues (U.S.) to Blues & Rhythm: The Gospel Truth (UK). Just 22 at the time of joining JOHNNY IGUANA’S CHICAGO SPECTACULAR!, Stephen Hull is one of the brightest young stars in the blues universe.
Stephen Hull
MICHAEL CASKEY

MICHAEL CASKEY

Downbeat Magazine award winner and five-time Detroit Music Award recipient, Michael Caskey is a drummer (not to mention pianist, composer and music educator) who has played with a wide variety of artists: Heritage Blues Orchestra, oh my god, Eastern Blok, Chuck Mangione, Koko Taylor, John Sinclair and more. Michael is also the drummer of the Claudettes, a band he co-founded with Johnny Iguana.
Johnny Iguana's Chicago Spectacular - group photo

JOHNNY IGUANA'S CHICAGO SPECTACULAR!

The 2020 Delmark Records album

(featuring special guests)

Front Cover - JOHNNY IGUANA'S CHICAGO SPECTACULAR!
Back Cover - JOHNNY IGUANA'S CHICAGO SPECTACULAR!

TOP OF THE CHARTS

#3 on the October 2020 U.S. Living Blues chart

Living Blues Radio Chart - October 2020 - Johnny Iguana's Chicago Spectaculrar!

#4 on the U.S. Roots Music Report in November

Roots Music Report - Johnny Iguana's Chicago Spectaculrar!

PRESS

“The fingers of Johnny Iguana point the blues towards its future”

The Alternate Root

“Rollicking…deeply expressive…astounding…defies easy classification….a cohesive and splendidly satisfying whole.”

Living Blues

“A blues album like no other, being traditional yet utterly contemporary.”

Big City Blues Magazine

“Nothing short of spectacular…barrels down the highway, careening between lanes as Iguana fires on all cylinders….cooks throughout….A treat awaits!”

Chicago Blues Guide

“He has become a performer like no other, a totally unique pianist who is recognizable in everything he does….Exquisite self-composed instrumentals are served…rock hard blues piano of the highest quality….This is definitely one of this year’s best albums for me. There is tradition and innovation in beautiful union. Recommended without reservation. BBBBBB (highest rating: Six out of six B’s)”

Blues News (Norway)

“Skillfully blends classic Chicago blues from the 1950s with a freer, jazzier approach a la Ramsey Lewis…catch phrases can’t be used to describe this…This album rises to the occasion and needs to be recognized, especially one as invigorating as this….(4 out of 5 stars)”

Soul Bag, France

“A modern approach to the blues, although it has touches that are reminiscent of the old glories of the boogie-woogie….it’s spectacular, it’s risky…a piano album like no other.”

Historia Del Blues, Bogota, Colombia

“Sultry and steamy…extremely swinging…effortlessly bounces from blues to funk and even to classical…unstoppable boogie-woogie with a booming, almost bombastic sound.…The variation of this album is also its great strength…a wonderful blues album!”

Bluestown Music (Holland)

“As the title Chicago Spectacular suggests, it’s a riotous celebration of the Windy City…an album that shows how vibrant Chicago blues can be….Iguana finds a sweet spot between jumping piano R&B and gutbucket blues, placing the rhythm in the forefront and keeping things lively and swinging throughout. The result is a blast, an album that celebrates Chicago traditions while tweaking them with a big grin.”

Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic.com (four stars)

VIDEOS

YOU BELONG TO ME: Live at Delmark Records

Land of Precisely Three Dances

CONTACT

Management/Europe & UK booking:
Larry Skoller raisinmusic@earthlink.net

The Band:
johnny@johnnyiguana.com

42nd Blue Music Awards nominee - Johnny Iguana - Instrumentalist Piano - The Blues Foundation