Eric Johnson Queen's Hall Edinburgh 1st August 2026 Review
Eric Johnson at Queen's Hall Edinburgh 01 August 2026. Photo by Scott Anderson
Eric Johnson was at the Queen's Hall Edinburgh tonight, one of the few remaining dates on his Texaphonic 2026 Tour Europe. As to be expected from a musician of his stature, the venue was sold out, but despite the decades of success and adulation from fans and fellow musicians alike, it was a very mild-mannered, polite, and almost humble Eric Johnson who stepped out onto this stage. It was refreshing to see someone who clearly did not take the attention of any of his fans here tonight for granted, and was here to do one job - entertain them with his music.
On stage with Eric tonight were Tal Bergman (drummer) and Daniel Kimbro (bass guitar), and this very basic band set up was all that Eric Johnson, or anyone at this show tonight needed.
I am not going to give this show’s set list away as there are still a few dates to go on this tour and that should be a surprise for anyone still planning to go and listen to Eric and the band, but I am giving little away by highlighting a few songs and a few special moments from this show.
This show was two 45 minute sets with an interval in between, but a lot of music was packed in here, including a guitar arrangement of Duke Ellington's classic "Caravan", a cover of "Axis, Bold as Love" by Jimi Hendrix, and the jazz classic "Stella by Starlight".
Eric Johnson and the band were taking a musical trip tonight across many musical genres and styles, but always keeping that rhythm steady was the drum/percussion skills of Tal Bergman.
Watching and listening to Eric Johnson and Daniel Kimbro perform together was a pleasure, and also a bit of a surprise to see just how easily they often worked together more like free-style jazz musicians. Daniel Kimbro was a very special talent to watch performing tonight and the perfect musician to be on stage with Eric Johnson, supporting him when required to add something to the music whilst also giving space for Eric to do whatever he wanted to do on guitar. The opening 15 minutes set within a set of the second half of this show with Eric Johnson on acoustic guitar and Daniel Kimbro on bass was one of my favourite moments. This was as stripped back as music gets, two talented musicians just enjoying playing music together and sharing that moment with an audience.
As always, with anyone who has had a musical career as long and varied as Eric Johnson has had, selecting a set list that ticks everyone's boxes is always going to be a problem, and probably an impossible one to solve, but with "Friends", "Chester", "Cliffs of Dover" and "On Green Dolphin Street" amongst this set list, there was something for everyone here.
Eric Johnson is one of the leading guitarists of his generation, and his ability, as so effortlessly displayed tonight, to move between musical styles was exactly what this audience came out to hear tonight.
Review by Tom King (c) 2026
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
On stage with Eric tonight were Tal Bergman (drummer) and Daniel Kimbro (bass guitar), and this very basic band set up was all that Eric Johnson, or anyone at this show tonight needed.
I am not going to give this show’s set list away as there are still a few dates to go on this tour and that should be a surprise for anyone still planning to go and listen to Eric and the band, but I am giving little away by highlighting a few songs and a few special moments from this show.
This show was two 45 minute sets with an interval in between, but a lot of music was packed in here, including a guitar arrangement of Duke Ellington's classic "Caravan", a cover of "Axis, Bold as Love" by Jimi Hendrix, and the jazz classic "Stella by Starlight".
Eric Johnson and the band were taking a musical trip tonight across many musical genres and styles, but always keeping that rhythm steady was the drum/percussion skills of Tal Bergman.
Watching and listening to Eric Johnson and Daniel Kimbro perform together was a pleasure, and also a bit of a surprise to see just how easily they often worked together more like free-style jazz musicians. Daniel Kimbro was a very special talent to watch performing tonight and the perfect musician to be on stage with Eric Johnson, supporting him when required to add something to the music whilst also giving space for Eric to do whatever he wanted to do on guitar. The opening 15 minutes set within a set of the second half of this show with Eric Johnson on acoustic guitar and Daniel Kimbro on bass was one of my favourite moments. This was as stripped back as music gets, two talented musicians just enjoying playing music together and sharing that moment with an audience.
As always, with anyone who has had a musical career as long and varied as Eric Johnson has had, selecting a set list that ticks everyone's boxes is always going to be a problem, and probably an impossible one to solve, but with "Friends", "Chester", "Cliffs of Dover" and "On Green Dolphin Street" amongst this set list, there was something for everyone here.
Eric Johnson is one of the leading guitarists of his generation, and his ability, as so effortlessly displayed tonight, to move between musical styles was exactly what this audience came out to hear tonight.
Review by Tom King (c) 2026
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com