Eric Johnson Brings Guitar Mastery to The Suffolk

Among musicians, one of the greatest signs of respect is being labeled a “guitarist’s guitarist.” This group often includes six-string warriors who may not have the most commercial appeal, but are recognized by their counterparts for their technical abilities and mastery of the instrument.

Among this group is Eric Johnson, who’s made a name for himself with his highly technical playing style in the genres of instrumental rock and jazz fusion. He’s best known for the instrumental “Cliffs of Dover,” which won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

And now, he’ll be sharing his talents with an East End audience for a night of guitar wizardry on Friday, October 10, at The Suffolk at 8 p.m.

Johnson first picked up a guitar at age 11 and joined a band with drummer Vince Mariani when he was 15. During their time together, Mariani mentored Johnson in writing songs as the band continued to play more shows. By the time he was 19, Johnson was at a point where he was performing regularly where it was his main job.

“We were able to make rent and buy groceries and just get by,” said Johnson in a recent phone interview. “It was very humble times, but it was great because we were able to survive.”

Johnson came up in the bustling music scene of Austin in the 1970s, featuring myriad clubs and venues where he soon took the stage. He noted that the Austin music scene at the time “wasn’t so stylized or pigeon-holed” and that “any music that was good to listen to they would book at the clubs,” making it easy for young talents like himself to get gigs.

As he continued to play more shows and find work as a session musician, Johnson became known for his distinctive lead guitar tone, which has a smooth, violin-esque quality to it that was inspired by the music he listened to growing up.

“I grew up listening to different music and a lot of acoustic instruments that had a real pure tone,” he said. “And then when I got interested in electric guitar, guys like Eric Clapton and BB King had these really straight ahead, pure kind of tones. So it was always important to me to chase that sound.”

To achieve this sound, Johnson has always tried to find old amplifiers with simple circuitry. The simpler circuitry produces a sound that is more pure than an amplifier with more complex wiring and settings. His current live rig consists of three amplifiers: one for clean rhythm guitar, one for rhythm guitar with more crunch to it and one for leads and solos.

A big break for Johnson came in July 1984 when he made his debut performance on “Austin City Limits,” a hallmark for any musician based in the city. Appearing on the show led to more visibility from record labels and offers to perform bigger shows.

In 1986, Johnson released his debut solo album “Tones,” which showcased his guitar chops on songs like “Off My Mind” and “Zap,” the latter of which earned him his first Grammy nomination in 1987. Making the album was a more professional project than any Johnson had been involved in before and he credited producer David Tickle and his supporting cast of musicians for the quality of the finished product.

“We were under a time constraint to get the record done on a certain budget,” he said. “But there were people involved that were real discerning in editing stuff and trying to make it as concise and solid as we could make it.”

Johnson’s most acclaimed work came in 1990 with the song “Cliffs of Dover” from the album “Ah Via Musicom.” The four-minute instrumental is a tour de force of Johnson’s talents, featuring a solo introduction where he’s flying across the fretboard and a soaring melody. The song features him using both a Fender Stratocaster and a Gibson ES-335. At one point around the song’s three-minute mark, Johnson switches from the Stratocaster to the ES-335, though it’s a subtle change. Johnson recounted that though his engineer was skeptical about this, Johnson told him to “just think of it as me stepping on a pedal and changing the tone.”

Johnson said he didn’t expect that the song would prove to be the most popular from the album, as he thought of it as just another track. He noted that Jeff Shane, the vice president of rock promotion at Capitol Records, was one of the main reasons “Cliffs of Dover” took off.

“For whatever reason, he really resonated with that song and consequently, he would not rest until every single radio station gave it a shot,” he explained. “So sometimes, it takes a village, especially if you have somebody that really believes in something that won’t take no for an answer. That’s the way he was and I have a lot of gratitude to him for that.”

Since then, Johnson has released nine studio albums and collaborated with a variety of musicians. Among the projects he’s been involved in is G3, an annual concert tour led by fellow guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani. Johnson played on the first G3 tour in 1996, where he shared the stage with Satriani and Steve Vai, and has played on three G3 tours since then. Each show consists of each main guitarist playing a set before they all join each other for a few songs at the end, trading solos and licks back and forth.

Johnson has maintained a consistent touring schedule and just kicked off the Texaphonic 2025 Tour in late September, but he’s been able to keep finding new ways to be inspired on stage.

“I just stay a student and a fan of music, as well as staying open and malleable,” he said. “I just keep learning and absorbing and never decided ‘Oh, this is what I am and I’ll just keep doing this.’ There’s always some new vista to discover that can reinvest your passion.”

Eric Johnson performs in concert at The Suffolk on Friday, October 10, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $80 to $130 and can be purchased at thesuffolk.org. The Suffolk is at 118 East Main Street in Riverhead.