Guitar-heavy blues may be King Johnson's first focus, but it's the blare of those horns that give this band a royal funk. This five-piece brings their Atlanta boogie to Jack of the Wood Saturday night, Jan. 27.

"It's not really a conscious effort to lean any way," said singer and guitarist Oliver Wood. "We're connected to the blues and we've played off that."

With comparisons to roots jam bands like Little Feat, King Johnson combines soulful shakedowns with basal blues. "The horns really changed the whole sound once we departed from the trio," Wood said.

Forming in 1995, Wood teamed up with bassist Chris Long and drummer Greg Baba. The threesome stayed true to the blues with a New Orleans slant courtesy of Baba's Big Easy experience and rhythmic hammering. Combining forces later with Adam Mewherter on trombone and tuba and Marcus James on saxophone and clarinet, the band really began to unleash their organic sound.

We're really influenced by each member of the band," said Wood. "Our separate influences are key to the whole thing."

Although the band seems to rely on talent to make music, they've focused on fate with their new album "Luck So Strange." The release showcases the horns in all of their brightness without sacrificing the sweet sound of the Woods' gritty guitar.

"We're hitting the road pretty hard right now to pump the album," Woods said. "We're putting a lot of energy into this, more than we really ever have before."

At last summer's Bele Chere festival in Asheville, the guys spent their energy prepping the Battery Park crowd for blues funk heroes, The Meters. "That was incredible," said Wood. "It put us in front of the perfect crowd."

Hoping for another perfect crowd this weekend, Wood and band are looking forward to the cozy quarters of Jack of the Wood. "Big venues, like festivals, are great because of all the energy and everything, but smaller places have so much intimacy. It's nice to see people actually watching you play."

Amy Jones writes about music for the Citizen-Times. E-mail her at dbelser@aol.com

Long live the King! Blues band King Johnson mixes blues with brass Saturday night at Jack of the Wood brewpub, 95 Patton Ave.

WHO: King Johnson

WHEN: 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27

WHERE: Jack of the Wood

HOW MUCH: $7

MORE: 252-5445