Reviews

Harpin' Jonny
Linda Koffman /The Goodtimes 11/24/08
For most people, the clean, sharp howling of the harp calls forth rustic porchfront blues like a whistle calls forth a train; the two go hand-in-hand and there ain’t no separation. Don’t tell that to Jonny Troutner. Better known as Harpin’ Jonny , he knows there’s more to the harmonica than simply the blues, and he’s been out proving it for nearly two decades. “There isn’t any song that I can’t play on the harmonica,” he states. “I don’t see it being limited to any certain type of music and I don’t think it should be summed up as just a blues instrument.” Blowing through those minuscule metal windows on Bay Area stages since ’92, he wasn’t initially struck or confined by those stereotypical blues harmonica riffs. Instead, it was Norton Buffalo , Toots Thielemans and Charlie Musselwhite who guided him to wail through an array of bluegrass, rock, country, and jazz, in addition to the blues. “I like to embellish a song by creating melody or answers to the song, and even add percussion through the harmonica.

Being able to make something interesting out of nothing is what I like to do.” And he’s been doing it ever since the age of 7. Currently alongside The Primadons, The Groovehounds and The Larry Hosford Band , not to mention studio stints for various collaborations, he’s become a Santa Cruz staple who’s even sat in with Robert Earl Keen and Paul Thorn . “Now I play so much that sometimes I’d rather hide and listen,” he admits with a laugh. Still, despite three bands and a solo album in the works, he also knows when to quit. Whereas some musicians’ nerves can flutter in fear that a harpist will drill through a tune with no restraint, Troutner understands that silence can be golden. “Most of the time, people overplay when they play the harmonica,” he admits of his breed’s reputation. “You gotta learn how to listen and play in the right places. Then people will know they can trust you to go in and not wreck the song.” Needless to say, we trust you, Jonny.
The Goodtimes;
The true talent of a musician is not measured in the number
of notes played, but rather the choice of notes played.
Therein lies the strength of this new release by Santa Cruz
stalwart Harpin; Jonny Troutner, who spends his days
selling stones at Antolini Company. Instead of showing off
with John Popper-like wanking. Jonny plays only what's
right for the song. On the opening Doobie Brothers-esque
"When the Train Comes," his harmonica plays second
fiddle to the almighty song, and the strong harmony vocals of lead singer Craig Owens and Troutner's daughter
Lisa.
Piedmont-style blues renditions of Muddy Waters' "Long
Distance Call" and Doc Watson's "Southbound" let
Jonny pull out his best blues chops, though he never
overpowers the accompanying acoustic guitar and
vocals from Jim Roy. In fact, Jonny doesn't sing at

The lineup also includes top local players such as former Doobie Brother Tiran Porter, as well as Jim Norris
and Gary Kehoe. But no egos are clamoring for
attention here, and the team works well as a cohesive unit.

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