Johnny Woods (1917–1990) was a country blues musician, playing harmonica, and a longtime duet partner with Mississippi Fred McDowell.

These tracks were recorded on April 27, 1972, on Johnny's front porch in Olive Branch, Mississippi.
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During the spring of 1972, I spent some time in Mississippi visiting with my friend and teacher Fred McDowell. Now Fred had promised to show me around and introduce me to a few of his musical cronies, and I told Fred that I’d especially like to meet his old harmonica playing sidekick, Johnny Woods. I had know about Johnny first form the way Fred, whenever the subject turned to harp players, would say, “backhome we got a boy named Little Johnny Wooodsman, that boy is a harmonica playin’ fool, sure as you’re born.” I had also known about him from the appearance he made with Fred at the 1969 Memphis Blues Festival (subsequent to which studio material was released), and also from some field recordings made by George Mitchell. A lot of people might remember Johnny solely for an Ann arbor Blues Festival “appearance-fiasco” in which he kind of screwed up the McDowell-Woods set. Johnny doesn’t have the best reputation for holding his liquor. After that he sort of drifted in oblivion (yeah).

Locating Mr. Woods was not the easiest task. Johnny used to live in the town Senatobia, which is about ten miles north of Como, Fred’s hometown. But Johnny is a farmer, and as such he must go where the work is. Word had reached us that he had re-located in the town of Olive Branch, just south of Memphis. Try as we might we just couldn’t find him that April morning. Whenever we got to the place where he was supposed to be for sure, for sure he wasn’t there. Until finally acting upon a tip from a person who was acquainted with Johnny’s employer, we tracked him down to a farm on the proverbial outskirts of town.

It was about noon when we pulled up into the dirt driveway and headed up the long path towards an old shack. There on the porch I could make our the figure of a small gray-haired man peering primly at our approaching vehicle. Fred smiled, “That’s him, Tom.” Then I watched as Johnny’s face lit up when he realized it was Fred. The two hadn’t seen each other in months. Johnny called inside to his wife. “look who’s here. It’s Fred. Freddy McDowell!

We got out of the car. Fred made the introductions and Johnny invited us inside. We were fortunate to have caught Johnny during his lunch break. While we talked, Fred told me to play the tapes of the session that he and I had done in New York. And as the subject shifted to music, Johnny confided that he hadn’t been playing much lately and besides he’s had to pawn his last harp when things got tough. Luckily Fred had anticipated that this might be the case and before we started out he had told me to bring along a couple of my harmonicas. Well Johnny, I guess it’s time for us to hear some of your stuff,” Fred smiled again at me as if to say ‘wait’ll you hear this,’ then he looked at Johnny, chuckled, and said, “Go on boy.” And Johnny blew, tapped his foot in rhythm and sang, “Well, gonna see my long haried do-o-ney…” I don’t exaggerate when I tell you that I was overwhelmed. When he finished, and I had expressed my enthusiasm to him Johnny grinned as he said, “You know, it don’t sound like much to me.” Fred and I grinned too and I asked for an encore. Johnny came outside and I snapped a few pictures while he posed in front of Fred’s new Pontiac. An interesting contrast indeed. We shook hands and make our good-byes for it was about time for Johnny to get back up on his tractor (note hard hat in cover photo).

Here then are the two harmonica solos exactly as Johnny Woods played them that day during his lunch break complete and unedited from the time I turned on the tape recorder.

– Tom Pomposello