Home » Jazz Articles » Darren Johnston
Jazz Articles about Darren Johnston
Darren Johnston: The Edge of the Forest
by Troy Collins
Canadian-born Darren Johnston was recently chosen by Down Beat Magazine as one of 25 Trumpeters of the Future. Currently working in the Bay Area's fertile new music scene, Johnston is a prime example of the new generation's eclectic interpretation of the jazz tradition. After acquiring his Master's in composition from Mills College in Oakland, California, Johnston went on to hone his craft with such legends as Fred Frith, Myra Melford and Rova. Besides recordings of his collaborative work, The Edge ...
Continue ReadingDarren Johnston / Fred Frith / Devin Hoff / Larry Ochs: Reasons for Moving
by Ivana Ng
Reasons for Moving is what an improvised session should sound like: thoughtful, seamless, dynamic, comfortable. “Dawn & The Flat Irons" begins as a conversation between trumpet (Darren Johnston) and bass (Devin Hoff). When drummer Ches Smith comes in, the tune branches off, allowing Smith, Fred Frith (electric guitar) and Larry Ochs (tenor and sopranino saxophones) to play more sparsely. The softer tracks on the CD are more effective. In “Deep North," Smith and Ochs ...
Continue ReadingDarren Johnston / Fred Frith / Larry Ochs / Devin Hoff / Ches Smith: Reasons for Moving
by Jerry D'Souza
Darren Johnston (trumpet), Fred Frith (electric guitar), Devin Hoff (bass), Larry Ochs (tenor and sopranino saxophones) and Ches Smith (drums) stamp their class as improvisation and free jazz explode in aural splendor and imaginative propulsion on this collaboration. Each has established an undiluted reputation as a forward thinker in taking improvised music into new realms. Change for them is a constant challenge, one they meet on-the-go as they play with their own bands and with other musicians who answer to ...
Continue Reading
