Shoot That Thang
James "Super Chikan" Johnson has blossomed from an oddity, a quirky songwriter and struggling singer-guitarist who claims to talk with chickens, to a juke-blues wizard in four years and three albums. OnShoot That Thang, the Clarksdale, Mississippi, resident has retained his ability to spin tales that capture the folksy weirdness and humor of Delta life, but he displays newfound strength as a melodic vocalist with a versatile grasp of the six-string. He bends notes with the rich, stinging guitar tone ofBuddy Guyon "Mennonite Blues," spins out a delightful country ode to lovemaking in "Tin Top Shack," gets funky in the nasty-double-entendre-packed "Staingy Wid It" and "Wrong to Sing the Blues," and offers a clinic in wah-wah pedal boogie and hot-shot soloing on the eight-minute title track. He even closes "Shoot That Thang" with a musical ode to his well-known uncle,Big Jack, mimicking the elder Johnson's trademark stabbing vibrato licks. The Thomas brothers, who play bass and drums, offer granitic support to Super Chikan's flights and double as a soulful vocal chorus on two numbers. There's also a bonus: the CD jacket folds out into a beautiful seven-panel comic-strip bio of Johnson by award-winning comic book author and African American music aficionadoHarvey Pekar.--Ted Drozdowski