The eternal troubadour, John B. Sebastian will be gracing the stage at Johnny D’s on August 28.

By Jim Clark

Few, if any, can claim to have traveled the same musical roads as John Sebastian. As founder, front man, and principle composer of songs for the wildly popular 60’s group The Lovin’ Spoonful, and later with his own successful solo efforts, Sebastian has forged a career as unique in its nature as it is vast in its overall scope.

Local audiences will have a rare opportunity to savor the sweet sounds of a true musical icon in the intimate environs of Johnny D’s on August 28.

Sebastian seems to have lived a charmed life, as far as being swept up into the arms of the muses is concerned. Born into an artistically accomplished family, his mother was a radio scriptwriter and his father a world-renowned classical harmonica player. While his father’s musical influence is undeniable, the younger Sebastian embraced the blues and folk genres rather than classical, and mastered those forms fully. As his playing on The Lovin’ Spoonful and solo recordings attest to his virtuosity, he has also been a much sought after session man in the studio. His soaring riffs on The Doors’ Road House Blues, just one example, are as stirring today as when they were first recorded nearly 50 years ago.

Growing up in Greenwich Village, NY, he took in and ultimately became a part of the explosive artistic scene that emerged there in the 60s. He played alongside Burl Ives, Woody Guthrie, and Bob Dylan. There he explored and mastered all the many forms of what is now termed Americana: blues, country, jug band, jazz, and the newly emerging pop/rock scene of the mid-60s.

The ultimate result of this exploration took the form of The Lovin’ Spoonful, consisting of Sebastian and his multi-instrumental proficiency (harmonica, guitar, and his trademark autoharp), along with band mates Zal Yanovsky, Jan Carl and Steve Boone.

The Lovin’ Spoonful, in their heyday in the 60s.

Both Sebastian and Yanovsky had previously played together in The Mugwumps, which also featured future The Mamas & The Papas members Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty. Yes, that’s the Sebastian immortalized in The Mamas and The Papas lyrics for Creeque Alley (“In a coffee house Sebastian sat, and after every number they’d pass the hat”).

But where the Mugwumps floundered, The Lovin’ Spoonful soared. After securing a record contract, the band achieved the unprecedented feat of having their first seven singles chart in the top 10. This in the formidable years that saw the height of Beatlemania and the British Invasion.

Timeless classics such as Do You Believe in Magic, You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice, Daydream, Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?, Didn’t Want To Have To Do It, Summer in the City, Rain on the Roof, Nashville Cats and Darling Be Home Soon ruled the airwaves across America and abroad, all laid down in the studio between 1965–1967. Sebastian was the principal writer of all those wonderful songs.

Additionally, their music was used in the soundtracks for the films What’s Up Tiger Lilly (directed by Woody Allen) and You’re a Big Boy Now (directed by Francis Ford Coppola).

Sebastian left The Lovin’ Spoonful in 1968 to pursue a career as a solo artist and released a series of highly acclaimed albums such as John B. Sebastian and Tarzana Kid.

His impromptu solo performance at the Woodstock Festival in 1969 was immortalized in the documentary film that chronicled the concert.

Later, in 1976, Sebastian gained new and broader popularity after writing and performing the theme song to the TV comedy show Welcome Back Kotter, appropriately titled Welcome Back. Rarely has a TV theme song enjoyed such popularity and high positions in the charts.

Sebastian has continued doing what he does best, playing, singing and collaborating. His recent partnerings with David Grisman have enjoyed great success with fans and critics alike. Look for more such pairings in the future.

Sebastian will be playing the memories as well as the pulse of the present moment at Johnny D’s on Friday, August 28. Don’t miss the opportunity to be entertained by a true giant of American popular music. A man whose legendary status is reaffirmed with every song he writes, plays and sings. He has so much of it to share.