Sixty-year-old Mississippi-born, Chicago-raised guitarist Syl Johnson possesses a voice that could be described as a slightly bluesier version of Al Green’s gospel-and-grit wail. Johnson, however, was putting out small-label R&B singles several years before Green—and before Johnson was discovered by, yes, Green’s producer, Willie Mitchell. Green’s own version of “Take Me to the River” was among the hard-soul numbers he recorded for Memphis’ Hi Records from 1968 to 1975. After spending the ’80s running fast-food fish restaurants, this veteran performer has returned with his vocal chops intact on Back in the Game, which includes a mixture of new and redone blues and soul tunes recorded with much of the original Hi band. With Tom Principato at 9 p.m. at Twist & Shout, 4800 Auburn Ave., Bethesda. $8. (301) 652-3383. (SK)