by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Modern blues in the '90s had a weird phenomenon of teenage blues guitarists rocketing to popularity with their first album. The entire trend culminated with Jonny Lang, a guitarist from Fargo, North Dakota, who released his solo debut album Lie to Me when he was 15. At the age of 12, he attended a show by the Bad Medicine Blues Band and began playing with the group. Several months later he had become the leader, and the newly re-named Kid Jonny Lang & the Big Bang relocated from Fargo to Minneapolis and released their debut album, Smokin, in 1995. The LP became a regional hit, leading to a major-label bidding war and culminating in Lang's signing to A&M Records in 1996. Early in 1997, his major-label debut, Lie to Me, was released to mixed reviews; Wander This World followed late the next year.
Modern blues in the '90s had a weird phenomenon of teenage blues guitarists rocketing to popularity with their first album. The entire trend culminated with Jonny Lang, a guitarist from Fargo, North Dakota, who released his solo debut album Lie to Me when he was 15. At the age of 12, he attended a show by the Bad Medicine Blues Band and began playing with the group. Several months later he had become the leader, and the newly re-named Kid Jonny Lang & the Big Bang relocated from Fargo to Minneapolis and released their debut album, Smokin, in 1995. The LP became a regional hit, leading to a major-label bidding war and culminating in Lang's signing to A&M Records in 1996. Early in 1997, his major-label debut, Lie to Me, was released to mixed reviews; Wander This World followed late the next year.
