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Dallas Johnson: Anything Can Happen

By Jim Santella
June 25, 2006
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Smooth jazz allows singer Dallas Johnson to celebrate the leisurely flow of melody that can transport us from reality to fantasy and beyond. Her program of originals on Anything Can Happen features keyboards, electric bass and drums in support of her mellow vocal portraits. Breathy, soft-spoken and laid-back, her voice paints pastel pictures that provide comfort and a relaxed ambience.

Based in Minneapolis, Johnson puts considerable thought into the lyrics for her songs, which she interprets with clarity. Pop, folk and R&B influences abound. She spreads each melody out evenly to wave in the afternoon breeze like freshly laundered sheets on the clothesline.

Keepin' a Move On, the album's high point, features children's voices in tandem with the singer's joyful and positive contribution. It's a delightful change from her usual pattern of smooth jazz. Similarly, "It Ain't Easy departs from the album's formula for a pleasant and convincing journey through Americana. These high points help to rescue the album from its slide toward oblivion. Most of the tracks, however, lay back so far that they fade into the scenery with little to remember.

Track Listing

Sunshine; O

Personnel

Dallas Johnson: vocals, percussion; Cleveland Boney: piano, electric piano, organ, vocals, percussion; Chris Smith, Tony Axtel, bass; Wendell Henry, drums; Mike Scott, Sean Harkness, Soli Hughes, guitar; Dean Magraw, sitar, steel guitar; Dave Karr, tenor saxophone, karrophone, melodica; Brian Gallagher: baritone saxophone; Matt Darling, trombone; Toby Tobalyas Moore, Darryl Boudreaux, percussion; Devi Johnson Rasalli, J.D. Steele, Marley Johnson, Terrence

Album information

Title: Anything Can Happen | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Self Produced

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