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Review by John Mitchell
John Logan With The Lix
Self-Release – 2026
6 tracks; 21 minutes
John Logan was born in Indiana to a family that loved music. He lived in the Bay Area in the 60’s, Wyoming in the 70’s and Austin in the 80’s. Since 1995 he has been a mainstay of the St Louis, Missouri, scene where he plays solo, as lead guitarist with Brother Jefferson and with his own trio, The Lix. On this short release John handles guitar and vocals with Mike Graham on bass and Benet Schaeffer on drums; Frank Bauer adds sax to one track. John wrote five of these songs, assisted on one by an old friend from his Austin days, Mike Morgan (now running a recording studio in Texas) and adapted an old Mississippi John Hurt tune that he has been playing for many years.
The album opens with an attractive blues shuffle entitled “Little Bird”, the guitar work clear and concise, a good start. The second track also features John’s clean picking, John’s lady clearly well versed in the blues as he tells us that “(She Likes It) Greasy”, the lyrics referencing Elmore James, Magic Sam and Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson, but “Muddy Waters is the man”. A change of pace next on “Midnite In The City” which has a jazzy feel with brushed drums, gentle bass and guitar and featuring Frank Bauer’s guest spot on breathy sax, solo honors going to Frank and John’s beautifully poised, relaxed guitar work.
John ups the pace with “Baby’s Got A Lock On My Heart” which brings a hint of Rockabilly, the swinging bass lines driving the fun tune along. There may well be some influence from John’s time in Texas here, and there definitely is on “55 Thunderbird”, the song that he wrote with Mike Morgan (presumably when he was living in Austin). That Texas roadhouse style is very much in evidence here as John celebrates the lure of a fine automobile, a car that avoids the need to be cool yourself as “Thunderbird is going to do it for you; you’re cool the minute you’re behind the wheel”! John has been playing Mississippi John Hurt’s “Brownsville Woman Blues” since his San Francisco days in the 60’s and here he gives us a solo acoustic version, showing that he is a deft picker in the Piedmont style also.
This varied little release gives us a good view of John Logan’s talents, notably a delicate touch on the guitar. An enjoyable listen, available from John’s website.
Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer John Mitchell is a blues enthusiast based in the UK who enjoys a wide variety of blues and roots music, especially anything in the ‘soul/blues’ category. Favorites include contemporary artists such as Curtis Salgado, Tad Robinson, Albert Castiglia and Doug Deming and classic artists including Bobby Bland, Howling Wolf and the three ‘Kings’.
Review by Rich Cibelli
If you like listening to some good Blues music with just a little bit of Jazz and Funk mixed in, then check out the new release from John Logan with The Lix. This 6 song EP times out at around 20 minutes and was recorded and mixed at Sawhorse Studios. John Logan gets credit for writing 5 of the 6 songs that appear.
This release is packed with plenty of music for your enjoyment and is available on most streaming platforms, so give it a listen.
Based in St. Louis, John Logan with THE LIX is a four-piece group that features John Logan handling Guitar and Vocals, Mike Graham on Bass, Benet Schaeffer on Drums and Frank Bauer on Saxophone.
Besides playing in John Logan with THE LIX, the guitarist also performs as the lead player in The Brother Jefferson Band. If you want more about John Logan you can visit JohnLoganMusicSTL.us
” Little Bird,” is the first title on this release. A neatly arranged shuffle that shows off Logan’s ability to blend a nice combination of rhythm and lead chops played by an experienced guitarist.
Slowing down a bit the EP’s second song “(She Likes it) Greasy” is a mix of down-home Texas Blues and storytelling. Once again Logan provides a blend of snappy leads for this selection and pays homage to some of the great Blues players of all time.
“Midnite in the City,” is third on the EP. This song gives Logan a chance to tell a sad story about someone having too many drinks at the local saloon. It also introduces Saxophonist Frank Bauer who provides a nice solo to the mix.
A man of many travels, Logan began playing around the age of 15 while living in South Bend Indiana.” Back then it was just acoustic songs,” so says his extensive bio. But Logan’s real exposure to Blues Music came sometime later in 1963 while his family relocated to the West Coast and where he got to see some of the great music playing at the local clubs.
From the sounds of this EP, he really paid attention to what he was witnessing. Logan’s desire to learn more led to many Sunday night open mic sessions and eventually at the age of 25 a regular Sunday gig at a place called Jabberwocky in Berkley, California where the young guitarist continued to sharpen his playing skills. The rest they say is just history.
“Baby’s Got A Lock On My Heart,” another of the EP’s selections, has a real nice Texas style thumping boogie to it. But I have to admit it sounds reminiscent of the 1963 Dave Dudley classic
“Six Days On The Road.” The extended solo has plenty of twang to it. However, I would have liked to hear some more of Saxophonist Frank Bauer sound.
While most of this EP is played with a standard Blues feeling and tempo “”55 Thunderbird”, co-written with the help of bassist Mike Graham is what I refer to as Blues rapping. In this case, it’s about a nice catchy tune about a souped-up car at the local soda shop. Listen closely to the vocals to really enjoy the message.
Closing out the EP, “Brownville Women Blues,” features John Logan showing off his Blues chops on acoustic guitar picking and chording a straight forward song about a woman who seems to be busy with more than one man. The song is well played and is a nice way to finish the release.
Interested in seeing the band in person? Well, you’re in luck. John Logan with THE LIX will be appearing on Monday June 16th, at The Alamo in Springfield, Illinois as part of the Blue Monday showcase.
All in all, I think John Logan with THE LIX does a pretty good job of showcasing their Blues chops with this release. I enjoyed it and my guess is you’ll be hearing a lot more from this group in the near future.
Review by Steve Jones
6 tracks/21 minutes
John Logan has a long career in music. So who is he? Well, after his tenure with Hudson Harkins and the Hoo Doo Cats, he has lived in St. Louis since the mid1990’s. Born and initially raised in Escanaba in the UP, he and his family relocated to Annapolis, Maryland where they lived in a haunted house that was servants slave quarters from before the Civil War.
From there they moved to South Bend, Indiana while his Dad taught at Notre Dame. They then moved to Berkeley, California in 1963 where Logan got into both music and acting while in High School. He played in clubs at age 17 and spent 11 years in the Bay area, hooking up with many a musical great. After a respite as a student actor in NYC and London with the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, he went back to California and did some bluegrass and country music. In 1974, he moved his family to Wyoming. Logan studied guitar with Ron McClure from Berkeley School of Music and did a lot of jazz and rock. He got his start in radio and moved around the state, but as radio became more and more automated and formulaic, he moved to Austin, Texas.
In Austin, Logan worked as a DJ and became heavily involved in the local music scene, playing at places like the famed Antone’s. This led to joining Hudson and Hoo Doo Cats and touring (heavily in the Midwest) with a heavy schedule. As Austin grew and became expensive and unlivable for musicians, he and Hudson moved to St. Louis, with a brief stop in LA for a Joe Ely tour. He has now spent thirty years in St. Louis and is a fixture in the local music scene.
The Lix are John on guitar and vocals, Mike Graham on bass, Benet Schaefer on drums and Frank Bauer on Saxophone. The EP features all original music.
“Little Bird” opens up the CD. It’s a nice shuffle with some tasty guitar licks with Logan fronting the band. His picking is thoughtful and he and the band deliver the goods. “She Likes It Greasy” is next, a slower blues giving testament to how his woman likes it. John gives a gritty performance full of double entendres and picks out some fine stuff on his guitar. Next up is “Midnight Blues,” a sublime slow blues with delightful sax and very cool guitar solos. The pensive fretwork and somber vocals make this one special.
“Baby’s Got a Lock on My Heart” has a cool rockabilly vibe going to it and Logan and The Lix bounce and rock through this one nicely. “55 Thunderbird” is a joint Logan and Mike Morgan penned cut with a funky groove and rocking thing going. Logan again does a nice job on the guitar groove and solos and gives us a slick vocal performance to boot! They conclude with “Brownsville Woman Blues,” a solo acoustic piece Logan worked up from Mississippi John Hurt. He picks his guitar with finesse and gives us a great performance. He plays and sings with feeling, and if you close your eyes you can envision the music wafting from a warm front porch along the Mississippi River.
This is a great EP showcasing Logan and his band. It’s available on his website and it is well worth your time and money to listen to it!
Review by Michael Bange
This is a blog and CD review on John Logan, a St. Louis local artist, who just put out a new CD.
I have known John for a few years. I have seen him play with many different bands & solo too.
John is know for playing the Blues mainly. His guitar playing is impeccably, many other artist in St. Louis, MO. have John sit in with their bands, due to the fact the John can play pretty much anything that you throw at him. Any time I go to a show where John is playing, it is always a pleasure to hear him.
Also would like to add that John is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.
I had a chance to ask John some Questions, here are John’s answers. At the end of the questions will be my review of John’s latest CD.
1. How long have you been playing music? I am 79; I started playing at 16. A long time…
2. How many bands have you been in?
Dozens over the years, starting in 1970.
3. Where were you born?
Escanaba, MI
4. Are you self-taught?
No…lessons as a teenager in Cotton Pickin finger style and later private lessons from a graduate of Berkeley School Of Music in the 70’s. A month of lesson from Duke Robillard in the 80’s.
5. Who are your biggest influences?
That’s a very long answer; folk music early, so Pete Seger, Mississippi John Hurt, blues later. All the Kings, T-bone, Pee Wee Crayton. Listening to Eddie Taylor currently, among others. Luther Tucker.
6. What style of music do you consider yours?
None; I play what I like; it turns out, I like blues!
7. What was your first gig? How old were you?
First one was at a High School assembly about ‘63…played solo gigs in Berkeley CA at some of the folk clubs there in the 60’s
8. What advice do you have for someone starting out in the music business?
Advice from me? I am not real good at the business side; during the Hoo Doo Cat years, I didn’t do the business. I would say, listen to people who have been doing it for long enough to know what they are talking about. I have just released my first EP…well, first release under my own name of any kind…and I have been asking a LOT of questions.
9. Do you write your own songs?
Some of them
10. What would people be surprised to hear that you have in your personal record collection?
I actually have no vinyl nor a record player; I haven’t in years. My CD collection has a copy of Miles Davis’s “Sketches of Spain. “Don’t know if that’s surprising or not…
11. What would you be doing if playing music was not an option?
Probably Radio; had a 20-yr career in that…
12. Besides your own songs, what is your favorite song to perform?
Whichever one comes next
13. If you were strictly a songwriter, who would you like to see sing your songs?
Willie Nelson
CD Review
John Logan With The Lix
Not sure if this is John’s first CD. The album starts with Little Bird, bit of a Bluesy/Jazzy number, the song starts off with John’s strong guitar playing.
Then we are introduced to a Lowdown Blues number, (She Likes It) Greasy, This song takes us back to the deep blues shuffle.
This whole album is just filled with songs in all forms of Blues. They are all well written & produced. I feel that this album is good enough to be used to introduce someone to the Blues Music. That it really touches on a lot of styles of the Blues.
If you are ever in St. Louis, MO. I highly recommend going to see John Logan play.
Here’s John’s website where you can find out more about John Logan.