...Johnson is a Chicago native and was born in the Windy City in 1948. He was only entering his teens when he played his first paying gig. At that time, he idolized Jimmy Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Later influences were Otis Rush, Albert King, Elmore James and T-Bone Walker. He is now a regular at such Chicago hotspots as Katerina’s, B.L.U.E.S., Rosa’s Lounge and Buddy Guy’s. The guitarist sometimes appears with harp player Billy Branch and the two turned out a CD together.
     In And Out finds Johnson in the company of friends Roosevelt Purifoy, Linard Stroud , Sam Green and Jesse Cross. Together, they launch into several Carlos Johnson originals, one by Al Green and a glorious version of Big Bill Broonzy’s Key To The Highway.
     Broonzy first recorded the tune in 1941 and the Johnson outfit does it justice on this CD. The leader’s vibrant guitar really stands out on the eight minute track. Al Green’s It Ain’t No Fun To Me gets an equally spirited treatment by the quartet. The leader’s own songs echo the urban blues traditions of Chicago. The title tune, In And Out and Spirit truly reflect Johnson’s versatility... jazzreview.com

...With a powerful electric guitar timbre to accompany his clear baritone voice, Johnson rings true throughout this highly recommended program of blues delights... Jim Santella allaboutjazz.com