Here are just a few comments from members of the media...
"The blues isn't just a style; it's a sociopolitical metaphor, the music of abiding reinvention. Lonnie Johnson, credited with the first guitar solo on record, embodied that spirit—he could play, sing, hang with Armstrong and Ellington, and blur the lines between blues and jazz. In the early '60s he made a comeback after turning up in Philly, where he'd worked at the Ben Franklin Hotel. The tribute CD Rediscovering Lonnie Johnson attempts yet again to rescue this giant from the historical shadows. Blues Anatomy celebrates the release with guitarist Jef Lee Johnson, who, like Lonnie, weaves blues and jazz into something defying categorization."
-David R.Adler (Philadelphia Weekly – Philadelphia, PA)
"Lonnie Johnson was simply one of the most important guitarists of his generation. Even so, he is hardly a household name these days, even for contemporary guitarists whose very musical path was plowed by Johnson as far back as the 1920s. It's that relative obscurity that Philadelphia-based producer Aaron Luis Levinson sought to address with this tribute to Johnson's life and career."
-Steve Leggett (AllMusic.com)
"Rediscovering Lonnie Johnson, which will be released Tuesday, is a CD for roots-music aficionados, but the music doesn't leave the casual listener in the cold. In fact, with each song, the said listener gains appreciation for musical innovation that served as the foundation of today's rock music."
-Scott Iwasaki (Deseret Morning News – Salt Lake City, UT)
"Rediscovering Lonnie Johnson is a good cross-section of Lonnie's accomplishments, giving you the pleasure of hearing at least a sampling of most of his dossier."
-Lou Novacheck (Blogcritics Magazine)
"Blues Anatomy is a surprisingly convincing blues and early jazz revival group from Philadelphia. But it's Jef Lee Johnson's rough-hewn eclectic guitar playing here that puts it in the "special" category."
-Jeff Simon (The Buffalo News – Buffalo, NY)
"Running though 12 [Lonnie] Johnson classics, Jef Lee Johnson (no relation) leads an all-star blues cast that not only pays tribute to the original, but highlights why the blues still have a place among today's musical mish-mash."
-Glenn Burnsilver (Daily Reporter-Herald – Loveland, CO)
"Rediscovering Lonnie Johnson conjures up the loose 'n' funky vintage sound with a special guest vocal by Geoff Muldaur ("He's a Jelly Roll Baker") and some great guitar-playing by Jef Lee Johnson."
-Greg Haymes (Times Union – Albany, NY)
"Grammy winning producer Aaron Levinson deserves a medal for pulling off one of the most difficult feats in music: producing a tribute album that doesn't suck."
-David "Jaimoe" Ball (Jambands.ca)
"Though one of the most influential blues guitarists ever to live (he was the first person to record a single note guitar solo), the late Lonnie Johnson wasn't widely known outside the jazz blues circles. This enjoyable effort by Blues Anatomy and noted guitarist Jef Lee Johnson (no relation) is an attempt to remedy that."
-Jeffrey Sisk (The Daily News – McKeesport, PA)
"On this modest tribute CD, veteran Philadelphia guitarist Jef Lee Johnson (Ronald Shannon Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Common, etc.), whose own work in the funk, jazz and rock idioms deserves much more attention, adds all the soul, swing and musical invention that tunes as different as "St. Louis Blues," "Broken Levee Blues" and the downright dreamy "Tomorrow Night" require. Blues Anatomy singer Eddie Davis, who handles most of the vocals, is also sensitive to Lonnie Johnson's legacy; his strong performances on both ballads and up-tempo tunes eschew the clichéd histrionics that mar many contemporary blues recordings."
-Tom Laskin (The Daily Page – Madison, WI)
"The gritty, evocative vocals of Eddie Davis and often spectacular guitar assistance from Jef Lee Johnson and Joe Mass are among the prime attributes of Rediscovering Lonnie Johnson (Range), a session featuring fresh approaches to vintage blues and jazz cuts, many of them like "He's A Jelly Roll Baker," "6/88 Glide," "Swing Out Rhythm" and "Bull Frog Man" either written or co-written by Johnson…This is excellent repertory fare, sung and played with energy and conviction."
-Ron Wynn (The City Paper – Nashville, TN)
"…Range Records gathered up some of the best blues players whose roots — like Lonnie's — are in Philadelphia and whipped up a tribute album. Blues Anatomy with lead guitarist Jef Lee Johnson, a reclusive legend amongst his peers, play these songs with respect and love so true that one could swear that this was just an old collection remastered for compact disc."
-Jen Cray (INK19)
"Right from the outset, with the woozy call of horns that greets the gently rolling lilt of St. Louis Blues, Rediscovering Lonnie Johnson establishes a mood that is drawn straight from yesteryear. Moving from the racing, acoustic gem Swing Out Rhythm to the brassy, New Orleans-bred headiness of I'm Not Rough, it's suitably diverse, too, which is, by itself, a reflection upon Johnson's wide-ranging interests. Jef Lee Johnson's guitar solos sing beautifully within the set's antiquated arrangements, and for a moment, Rediscovering Lonnie Johnson finds a nearly perfect groove, one that pays homage to a long forgotten figure without succumbing to the drudgery that reverence typically brings. Blues Anatomy clearly is having fun, and its loose, free-spirited joy is what ultimately sells the material."
-John Metzger (The Music Box)
"Aaron Luis Levinson has brought together a number of musicians including the Philadelphia band, Blues Anatomy, along with special guest, guitarist Jef Lee Johnson, for a tribute to him, "Rediscovering Lonnie Johnson" an affectionate, spirited tribute that hopefully will lead many to discover for themselves this legendary blues and jazz guitarist."
-Ron Weinstock (Jazz & Blues)
"This tribute serves its master well and brings attention to one of the overlooked blues/jazzmen of the 20th Century...The album's diversity mirrors that of Lonnie Johnson's own career, bouncing from ragtime to blues to smooth r&b."
-Mitch Myers (Downbeat Magazine)
"The renowned Philly-based group Blues Anatomy [with] Jef Lee Johnson and special guest Geoff Muldaur re-casts 11 of Lonnie Johnson's most distinguished tracks...and updates them for 2008 with a blues-rock edge."
-T.J.M. (Dirty Linen)
"The New Orleans-born singing guitarist's massive contributions to American music had been largely forgotten by the time Philadelphia disc jockey Chris Albertson found him in 1959 working as a janitor at a local hotel. Albertson set him on a comeback trail that kept him busy performing and recording until his death in 1970. But now, some 38 years later, Johnson's name is again little known, even to many serious blues and jazz fans..This is a situation Philadelphia producer Aaron Luis Levinson hopes to rectify with Rediscovering Lonnie Johnson."
-Lee Hildebrand (Living Blues Magazine)