The New York Sessions. Finally Heard.
Impact Records is proud to announce the official release of Doin' What It Takes by Johnny Knox — an American roots rock album featuring some of the most accomplished session musicians in modern music history.
In 2000, the founder of Impact Records flew from Atlanta to New York with an unknown artist and booked time at Pi Studios in Glen Cove, Long Island. The resulting sessions captured something extraordinary — a raw, swinging American roots rock record featuring three musicians whose combined credits span decades at the highest levels of the industry.
A World-Class Lineup
The album features Paul Shaffer on keyboards and arrangements — the legendary Musical Director for The Late Show with David Letterman (1982–2015) and original member of the Saturday Night Live band. On bass, Will Lee, who served as bassist for The Late Show for over 30 years with credits spanning Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and Steely Dan. And on tenor saxophone, Lenny Pickett, Musical Director of the Saturday Night Live band since 1985 and former lead tenor saxophonist for Tower of Power.
From the Vault
The recordings were never released. The tapes were kept in the vault for 25 years. Impact Records has now completed a high-fidelity restoration of these masterclass performances — preserved and released exactly as they were performed.
At a time when music is increasingly built by algorithms, Doin' What It Takes stands as the real thing — every note played by a human being in a room. No samples. No loops. No digital reconstruction.
Available Now
The album is available as a physical CD ($14.99), turquoise vinyl record ($24.99), digital album download ($9.99), and individual tracks ($0.99 each) exclusively through Impact Records.
About Impact Records
Impact Records was founded in Atlanta in 1999 and is the music division of Continent 5 Media Group, Inc. (C5M). The label focuses on preserving and releasing authentic performances with the industry's lowest commission rates for artists.