Blues Revue, April/May 2007
by Thomas J. Cullen III

After two regional releases and two years spent touring as Sam Myers' replacement in Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets, this young singer/songwriter/harpist has recorded one of the most exciting blues debuts of the past year. Though he has gained considerable renown as a harp player, John Németh reveals himself as more soul man than blues singer on the Funderburgh-produced Magic Touch.

There's little harp here, but there's enough blues feeling to satisfy any fence-straddling traditionalist. Németh includes three blues covers (Junior Wells' "Blues Hit Big Town," Willie Dixon's slow weeper "Sit and Cry the Blues," and Z.Z. Hill's frantically funky "You Were Wrong") and two original blues numbers ("She Did Not Show," a wistful lament with warbling Sonny Boy II-style harp, and the title track, a big-boned blend of jump blues and rockabilly featuring the brawny brass of Kaz Kazanoff's Texas Horns and wiry guitar riffs by Junior Watson). On the soul side, Németh reverently covers the Big Rodger Collins/Wilson Pickett hit "She's Looking Good," and though the album's original soul numbers are steeped in golden-age tradition, Németh renders them fresh and timeless with passionate vocals that never resort to histrionics.

Németh's croon brings to mind blue-eyed soulsters such as Curtis Salgado and Billy Price. The funky stroller "Blue Broadway" (slightly reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen's "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out") would be a perfect vehicle for Salgado or Price, and the uncanny mix of Tex-Mex and Southern soul in "Come On" should bring listeners to the dance floor. But it's Németh's compelling ballads ("You're an Angel," "Let Me Hold You," "Up to No Good") that fully reveal the depth of this young man's soul.

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All Music Guide, Feb. 2007
by Steve Leggett

With his amazing and versatile voice, and his equally as versatile harmonica skills, John Németh brings a lot of potential to the table in Magic Touch, his first nationally distributed album (Németh's earlier albums, 2002's The Jack of Harps and 2004's Come and Get It, were self released). Sounding a bit like Ray Charles crossed with a veteran Chicago bluesman, Németh knows his way around a blues tune (he covers Willie Dixon's "Sit Cry the Blues" here, for instance), but he shines brightest when he moves from his beloved blues into more soulful R&B territory, which allows his truly expressive voice to work its wonders. The best tracks on Magic Touch, including the striking "Blue Broadway," the sly "You're an Angel" and the she-done-me-wrong ballad "Up to No Good," all of which are Németh originals, exhibit a kind of bluesy R&B feel, bolstered by the presence of the Texas Horns and Németh's own hornlike harmonica lines. Each of these songs feels like it has been around for years, and Németh's singing finds all the right corners in them, blending a soulful approach with a refreshing dose of sly humor. One gets the impression that Magic Touch is just a starting point, though, and that Németh's best work is yet to come. He's got a voice that can sing anything, and his harmonica playing is bright, jazzy and inspired, but it's his writing that is the silver bullet here. If it continues to develop to keep pace with his performing skills, Németh may well have a truly monster album coming just down the road.

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Good Times Magazine (NY), Feb. 2007
"Németh A Natural With A 'Magic Touch'"
by Syl Nathan

Harmonica master John Németh's website claims he's a "traditional rhythm & blues sensation," but if that's so, how come his new release on Blind Pig, "Magic Touch," sounds so fresh? The Boise, Idaho native's nationally distributed debut is a revelation - it swings, it rocks, and it grooves, and it's easily the best release of 2007 so far.

Granted, the year is only a month old, but take it from us: If you don't want to jump up and bump while listening to the title track, you probably need to get a physical. Expertly produced by blues guitarist Anson Funderbergh, Németh proves himself to be a smooth yet soulful vocalist (he sounds more than a bit like fellow blues belter Darrell Nulisch) who, thankfully, is a harp player who hasn't jammed his album with one reedy, gymnastic solo after another. Instead, this new disc is a primer on how to make a simply perfect blues album. Take a touch of Duke Robillard, add a dash of Kim Wilson, throw on a little B.B. King, and you've got John Németh, a real original and a name to watch this year.

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