Carnival of Soul

Johnson replaced the band members with whom he had recorded “Heavens to Betsy,” which in April reached No. 1 on Billboard’s blues album chart. He made the announcement just before debuting the new band recently at BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups.

The mixed reaction didn’t surprise Johnson. “Most responses have been positive, but I understand why some people are upset,” he says. “But my name is on it, and I have to do what I have to do to move forward.”

Being out of work gave Johnson plenty of time to think about his decision.

“I thought about the band and the direction of my music,” he says. “It was the right time. It wasn’t like I put anybody out financially because we didn’t have anything booked.”

Johnson says the changes were nothing against his previous players, Benet Schaeffer (drums), Tony Anthonis (bass), Frank Bauer (saxophone) and Tony Antonelli (percussion). He has great memories with them and is confident they will find great opportunities.

“We’ve done this, and I think it’s as far as we can go,” he says. “I’d been working with the other guys for quite a while. As a musician, you need some stimulation and motivation. You need guys that will get your butt going in a positive direction. I thought with the other band we’d gotten to the point where we weren’t moving forward musically the way I wanted.”

The new lineup retains Bauer and Antonelli and adds multi-instrumentalist Paul Niehaus IV on bass. While it may not seem like a drastic change, it gives Johnson what he says is a more “tourable” band. Touring with four players is easier than with five.

And all the players can sing, so the group can provide three-part harmonies.

Johnson says he had always wanted to work with Niehaus, who in addition to being a multi-instrumentalist is a producer, engineer and owner of Blue Lotus Recordings. “To have someone of that caliber in your band is absolutely amazing,” Johnson says.

The unveiling of the band at BB’s was a good night out, he says. “The fans were great. They thought we sounded fantastic. They were shocked we only had a couple of rehearsals. Everyone had a good time, and people felt the band is going in the right direction.”

The new lineup came together quickly and organically. Johnson came up with the idea to write songs about living in the era of COVID-19 and the emotions and situations it causes.

Johnson posted a meme on Facebook expressing how he felt: “Unemployed and highly annoyed.” He reached out to Niehaus, who told him it sounded like a song. That in turn became an album.

“I was trying to stay positive — stay productive,” Johnson says. “I’m not gonna let this virus, the pandemic, bring me down. That’s what this record is about — taking this adversity and making something positive.”

The songs were written in a week and recorded in three days at Niehaus’ studio.

“At the end of the day, we found these guys, and we did a record together,” Johnson says. “It was fast, and it felt really natural. That kind of magic is hard to find.”

Johnson ran the newly finished album by his label, Ruf Records, assuming it may not be interested since “Heavens to Betsy” was released earlier this year. But within a day, the label told him it wanted the album. It’s expected to be released in October.

“It’s rare they let you release two albums in one year, but this isn’t a normal year,” Johnson says. “I couldn’t believe it.”

The new album takes Johnson back to the blues, something he says he can’t avoid writing about these days. It also features him in Americana and roots sounds.

In addition to the title track, “Unemployed and Highly Annoyed” includes “Burn Down the Garden,” which reflects on the idea of “having a garden full of weeds and burning it down to the ground to plant new seeds”; “Love and Sympathy,” which looks at couples stuck together during the pandemic; and “A Different Plan for Me,” about “how none of this is in our control. It’s a path set from above.”

Johnson also covers Luther Allison’s “Cherry Red Wine.” He wanted to pay tribute to an artist who influenced him.

By the time “Unemployed and Highly Annoyed” is released, Johnson expects to be back into his touring routine, beginning with European dates in September. His spring shows overseas, as part of the Blues Caravan with Whitney Shay and Ryan Perry, were canceled along with the U.S. shows.

The loss of the Blues Caravan tour was a real blow, but Johnson says he has been getting by with grants, including the St. Louis Blues Society’s Mission Grant, which has been helping out-of-work St. Louis musicians.

“I’m surprised and thankful they were able to help me out like that,” says Johnson, who had been hesitant to request assistance. “I’m a really proud person. I never had to ask for money — take money from people without earning it. But eventually it got to where I didn’t know what I was going to do. I waited until the last minute, thinking there had to be others who needed it more than me.”

Johnson, who has a fiancee and a newborn, says “things aren’t opening as quickly as we thought, so I couldn’t be more thankful for them, and thanks to the businesses and people who donated money to help out.”

Johnson performs Thursday at Hammerstone’s and Saturday at Wildwood Springs Resort in Steelville.