Johnny Never

"I really like this disc. The playing and writing are quite good. There is a nod to the past, but also has a modern feel via lyrics and some of the song writing. Certainly the country blues is the starting point for all the versions of blues we have today. It is nice to see 2 artists acknowledging the past but also pushing it a bit forward."-
Reviewed by Mark Nelson - Groove - Crossroads Blues Society News Letter

B-mans Blues Report.

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Black Crow, from Brother John (Johnny Never & John Colgan-Davis) and it's thick acoustic blues. Opening with Bread and Salt, Johnny Never leads the way on vocal and slide with Holly Hoffman, Shannon Roberts and Monica Moran on backing vocals and John Colgan-Davis on harmonica. Deep rooted blues and a solid opener. Svelte Man Blues is a great rag style blues. Never on guitar and Colgan-Davis get a great cadence going with Never on vocal. Very nice. Charlie Patton's Dirt Road is particularly cool featuring Colgan-Davis really working the harmonica over Never's vocals. Wandering Eye Blues is one of my favorites on the release with slick slide work by Never and with choppy harmonica work by Colgan-Davis. Very cool. Old Man Mose has a real nice guitar stroll feel to it, reinforced by Jimmy Pritchard on bass and and Hoffman and Moran on backing vocals. Colgan-Davis' harmonica work is particularly soulful under the vocal prowess of Never. Whiskey Glass is a somber ballad that really showcases Never's vocals with strong harmonica work by Colgan-Davis. Wrapping the release is boogie, Cook It To The Bone, with it's driving rhythm. With Never on guitar and vocal, Colgan-Davis on harmonica, Chicago Carl Snyder on piano and Mark Shewchuk on percussion, this is a solid closer for a solid release. 

https://www.bmansbluesreport.com/2026/04/brother-john-johnny-never-john-colgan.html

BLUES BYTES  --- Graham Clarke

 BROTHER JOHN consists of the dup of Johnny Never and John Colgan- Davis. Never is a songwriter and fingerstyle and slide guitarist specializing in Delta and Piedmont blues and Colgan-Davis is a veteran harmonica player who's played and recorded with Bonnie Raitt. Both are based in Philadelphia, Never for over two two decades and Colgan-Davis since the 1970s.

Their new album, Black Crow, is a wondrous acoustic blues soundtrack with 13 songs, 12 written by Never, plus a cover of Never's favorite Charley Patton tune.

Brother John usually works as a duo, but they occasionally include guest musicians, and that's the case on Black Crow, with Chicago Carl Snyder (piano), Jimmy Pritchard (acoustic bass), Mark Shewchuck (percussion), Alan Lewine (bass), and Holly Hoffman, Shannon Roberts, and Monica Moran appearing on selected tracks.

The somber, desperate “Bread and Salt” opens the disc with Never's forlorn vocals and slide guitar backed by Colgan-Davis' harp and Hoffman, Roberts, and Moran, who provide gospel-flavored backing vocals.

“New Sovereigns Blues” serves as a modern-day social commentary blues similar to the style in the '20s and '30s, and the lighthearted “Svelte Man Blues” is an autobiographical country blues with Never on resonator.

The haunting title track features Never delivering an anguished vocal which describes dealing with the death of a loved one. Charley Patton's “Dirt Road Blues” follows, one of Never's favorite tunes by the Delta blues master, and he and Colgan-Davis effectively capture the mood of the original.

“Wandering Eye Blues” moves into Piedmont blues territory, as Never laments his inability to be faithful to a good woman and avoid temptation." No Place Like Home” is a gentle love song, with Never again on resonator, and “That Thing You Did Last Night” is a slow blues that takes a look at how easily men can be led astray.

The folk blues “Old Man Mose” is a sad tale of a man turned out by his woman with no options. The salacious “Sexy Baby Blues” is about the “trials” of having a beautiful mate, and the slow burner “Whiskey Glass” has a Latin feel with Never's Spanish guitar backed by Colgan-Davis' understated harp.

“Five Miles” is an energetic track describing the trip back and forth while walking to the job, with Never's vocal painting a vivid picture of weariness. The closer, the playful “Cook It To The Bone,” is a sensual blues about a woman Never once fell in love with, featuring Snyder on piano.

It's easy to see these songs being played by blues artists of the '20s and '30s with their sometimes playful, sometimes pointed lyrical content and Brother John's guitar and harp work. With those qualities, it's safe to say that fans of acoustic country blues will enjoy Black Crow.

http://www.bluenight.com/BluesBytes/wn0326.html

Black Crow, far from just another blues album, is yet more evidence that if you know what you're doing, you can make something fresh and fun out of what should be worn-out components. When the effort is working as well as it is here, the older elements are not imitation but the most welcome kind of inspiration.

-Rambles.net

 “Johnny Never brings gentleness, precision, that way of letting the guitar tell the story even before the words arrive.  Colgan-Davis, for his part, breathes as if opening an old traveled journal; each harmonica note carries a memory, a speck of dust from the road, a glimmer of truth.” Fred Defore Zizazac Magazine, France

BLUES IN THE SOUTH

Brother John—Johnny Never & John Colgan-Davis—
Black Crow—Independent
Johnny Never; guitars and vocals, is a highly regarded
finger-style blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, who
has studied and performed Delta and Piedmont style
blues for decades. John Colgan-Davis; harmonica, started playing the harmonica in local blues and folk clubs back in the late 1960s while he was still a high school student. The opener, ‘Bread and Salt’, is a splendid hand clapping gospel song on emotional starvation, with fine resonating guitar and soft weaving harmonica. ‘New Sovereigns Blues’ is a tribute to Robert Johnson and Big Bill Broonzy, concerning the trials and tribulations of life today.
‘Svelte Man Blues’ brings a jolly resonator blues featuring a warming harmonica and delightful foot stomping. ‘Black Crow’, is a lament for a deeply cherished loved one but, is strangely joyful and comforting. Charley Patton’s ‘Dirt Road Blues’ features a mournful, mellow guitar and haunting, melancholy harmonica. In ‘Wandering Eye Blues’, the almost lazy, lustrous guitar and wistful harmonica, tell of straying, while supposedly in love. By contrast, in ‘No Place Like Home’, a bopping resonator and lively harmonica, tell of the joys of life when in love. ‘That Thing Your Dad Did Last Night’, a slow, wayward resonator and wistful harmonica describes how easily men are ‘led by their nose’ and by hope. ‘Old Man Mose’, a wistful harmonica and gentle blues guitar describe a tale of a disposable underclass, while ‘Sexy Baby Blues’ is a lazy, jazzy tale of the trials and
tribulations of having a luscious and sensuous girlfriend.
‘Whiskey Glass’, and ‘Five Miles’, are moribund harmonica and guitar tales of life’s increasing obstacles, regrets, and the deaths of loved ones. ‘Cook It to the Bone’, is a grooving harmonica led blues about a rather groovy lady in Johnny’s past. Highly Recommended!
Brian Harman - BLUES IN THE SOUTH MAGAZINE

If you dig traditional acoustic Blues, you’re going to want this CD by Brother John. 

The Philadelphia-based blues duo of Johnny Never and John Colgan-Davis deliver an acoustic collection of traditional Delta and Piedmont blues creations that’s hard to ignore. 12 Johnny Never originals and one Charlie Patton number round out the project. Never handles the vocals and acoustic guitar work while Colgan-Daviswails on the harmonica. It’s modern day traditional blues played exceptionally, without apology.

Songs of note include the album’s buzzing title track “Black Crow,” the well played “Old Man Mose,” the sultry “Sexy Baby Blues,” and the cool album closer “Cook It To The Bone.” You’re going to dig this material, I guarantee it! 

-[B.M.O.] _Metronome Magazine April 2026

Brother John—Black Crow—Independent
Folk-blues – it is a term that has generally dropped out of use much these days, but I do feel it applies to this release by this duo out of Philadelphia. It certainly applied to Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, the obvious
reference point for any guitar and harp duo; maybe a
little less to John Cephas and Phil Wiggins, but there are similarities to both here, though there is a lot about
Brother John that is very much their own. Try the first track, ‘Bread And Salt’ with Johnny Never playing some excellent sanctified type slide and John Colgan-Davis adding some rural sounding harp to a sacred type number with three backing singers helping out the ensemble (and plenty of hand-clapping). Or there is ‘Svelte Man Blues’, opening like Robert Wilkins in Memphis, but heading down into Mississippi as the song progresses. The title track also has hints of Wilkins and some subtle harp – John remembering that sometimes less is more.

Both men are of course vastly experienced – John is the elder of the two, having been performing since the 70s, having worked with Bonnie Raitt, the under-rated Sparky Rucker and many more; he is a founding member of leading Philly blues band The Dukes Of Destiny. Johnny Never has been playing Mississippi and Piedmont blues for over a couple of decades, and the sound the two produce is certainly tight but also spontaneous sounding.
 

There is just the one cover here, a relaxed version of Charley Patton’s ‘Dirt Road Blues’ that reveals a lot about the duo’s approach. I enjoyed the whole set a lot and look forward to hearing more from them.
Norman Darwen BITS

Crossroads Blues Society “Groove” Newsletter

Brother John is the duo project of Philadelphia artists Johnny Never & John Colgan-Davis. These are veteran blues players bringing their passion and skill to making a great product of blues music. The is only one cover on this acoustic release. Johnny Never is the singer/guitarist while his partner John Colgan-Davis handles harmoni-ca. There are a few added players on various tracks, including Mark Shewchuck (percussion), Alan Lewine (double bass), Jim-my Pritchard (bass) and Chicago Carl Snyder (piano). Backing vocals are provided by Monica Moran, Holly Hoffmann and Shannon Robards. 

The opener is “Bread and Salt”._ _It is a great country blues tune, taking you back to those original plantation acoustic blues style. The background vocals are a plus. “New Sovereigns Blues” _has an extended solos by both players that is quite nice. It is an old time sounding tune, with lyrics referencing hedge funds. It shows the topics can change, but the blues is still the blues. “Svelte Man Blues” _is a continuation of the quality country blues formula tune. Mark Shewchuck lends some percussion to “Black Crow”._ _The interplay of the 3 musicians is superb. The 5th tune is “Dirt Road Blues”._ _It is the lone cover, and was written by Charley Patton. It’s quite a beautiful tune. 

The sound expands with Alan Lewine (bass) & Mark Shewchuk (percussion) joining the fun on “Wandering Eye Blues”._ _The tune is in the Piedmont style and tells the story of not being able to keep your eyes on just one love in your life. Jimmy Pritchard steps in on bass for “No Place Like Home”._ _It is an active tune with Never switching to resonator for this tune. The music re-turns to the duo format for “That Thing You Did Last Night”._ _This is a love song that isn’t just about love! Jimmy Pritchard, Holly Hoffman & Monica Moran join in on the ballad “Old Man

Mose”._ _This is a neat folk blues tune for your ears and mind to enjoy. 

“Sexy Baby Blues” _is a jazzy tune, featuring Mark Shewchuck & Alan Lewine. It has a great old time feel to it. “Whiskey Glass” _is up next. It is mostly a slow southwest guitar tune up front, but there is some nice harmonica in the back half. “Five Miles” _is a slow blues tune, telling the story of life and working over the hurdles. Closing things out is an upbeat blues tune called “Cook It to the Bone” _Mark Shewchuck & Chicago Carl Snyder (piano) join in on this tune that is about love not cooking a meal. 

I really like this disc. The playing and writing are quite good. There is a nod to the past, but also has a modern feel via lyrics and some of the song writing. Certainly the country blues is the starting point for all the versions of blues we have today. It is nice to see 2 artists acknowledging the past but also pushing it a bit forward.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson - Groove NewsLetter - Crossroads Blues Society