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Award-winning musician Justin Johnson will perform at a downtown restaurant on Saturday night.
International award-winning multi-instrumental roots blues and gypsy jazz artist Justin Johnson will be capping off his Southern Spring Tour with two workshops and a live roots music performance Saturday, April 27 in Apex.
Beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the Music & Rock School, Johnson will offer two interactive workshops where participants will have the option to pick up and learn how to play the instruments that sparked the development of this country’s richest musical traditions: the one-string Diddley bow and the cigar box guitar.
The one-string Diddley bow is at the heart of almost every form of traditional music in the world, and is the precursor to the modern guitar and banjo. From 12:30pm-2:00pm Johnson will offer participants a chance to pick up a Diddley bow and learn how to make their own music come to life on these uniquely simple instruments.
From 2:30pm-4:00pm Johnson will lead an introductory workshop on the Godfather of all American roots instruments, the cigar box guitar.
Tickets for the workshop are $25 for Music & Rock School students and $30 for the general public.
Following the workshops, Justin will move the show down the road to celebrate the past, present, and future of American roots music at Peak City Grill. Johnson will take the stage at 8:30 p.m. and perform a roots blues set that will blend tradition with technology, and stretch the boundaries of blues, jazz, and Americana.
Johnson’s Southern Spring Tour traveled through Alabama and span Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina. In addition to live performances, he offered many different musical workshops.
On this tour Johnson also debuted some very original and innovative new instrument designs including his new lap steel guitar made out of and antique wooden ironing board.
Recently hailed by Guitar World Magazine as a must see act and dubbed “The Wizard” for his mastery of stringed instruments, Johnson has earned many accolades including a first place win in the Slidestock International Slide Guitar Competition. His virtuosic and unique style has earned him endorsements from three separate guitar companies: East Virginia Guitars, CigTone Guitars, and Madurobob Luthiery.
Johnson is also one of a select few guitarists that have been hand-picked to perform for the Woodstock International Luthiers’ Showcase, highlighting the work of many of the finest acoustic guitar builders in the world.
Johnson has garnered a reputation as one of the premier cigar box guitar performers playing today, highlighting the traditional American Roots instrument in a way that honors the history of the instrument while innovating new approaches by incorporating modern technology.
He expertly builds layers of music to create a full-band show as a soloist, incorporating up to a dozen stringed instruments including one-string diddley bows, acoustic and electric 6-string guitars, 12-string guitar, cigar box guitars, resonators, mandolin, and percussion.
For more information visit http://musicandrockschool.com or www.JustinJohnsonLive.com
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