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ROThis rare clip shows Eric Johnson in 1975 with The Electromagnets, the jazz fusion trio he formed in Austin, Texas before becoming famous as a solo artist. Even at that age, you can already hear so much of what would later make him legendary. The fluid pentatonic runs, violin-like phrasing, jazz chords and ridiculously clean picking technique were already there years before songs like “Cliffs of Dover” turned him into one of the most respected guitarists in the world. The Electromagnets became a cult favorite in Texas for mixing jazz fusion, blues, rock and progressive influences at a time when most guitar players were still trying to sound like Hendrix or Page. Eric was doing something completely different. By the time he released Ah Via Musicom in 1990, the world finally caught up. The album went platinum, “Cliffs of Dover” won a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, and Johnson would eventually be named one of the greatest guitarists ever by Guitar Player and Guitar World.
The beautifully scary part is that he already sounded this good in 1975.
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