Jazz Articles about James Johnson

About James Johnson

Album Review

James Johnson: Entering Twilight

Read "Entering Twilight" reviewed by John W. Patterson

by John W. Patterson
April 12, 2002

I recently saw this release listed in a newsgroup as ambient music to fall asleep to — I agree. This release of Johnson’s evokes that moment when you are coming down from awe or an intense epiphany. I mean it conveys that sense of relaxed but fading wonder, the in-between places of undirected contemplation.The is a continuous play, one song, one composition, one mood piece. It has somewhat of a fade in, then weaves endlessly to nowhere and ...

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Album Review

James Johnson: Unity

Read "Unity" reviewed by John W. Patterson

by John W. Patterson
April 12, 2002

Ever since hearing Johnson’s Surrender, which is in my top five fav ambient releases, I was eager to hear this earlier work. I can hear now, the proto-forms, faint traces and olde tracks that lead to his current ambient space excellence.This release opens with an incredibly similar sound to that found on the Eno release, paying tribute the Apollo missions. That Eno release was Apollo -Atmospheres & Soundtracks. “Forward” mirrors nicely the very best piece of that Eno ...

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Album Review

James Johnson and Robert Scott Thompson: Forgotten Places

Read "Forgotten Places" reviewed by John W. Patterson

by John W. Patterson
April 12, 2002

Fans of Harold Budd, Brian Eno, and Roger Eno piano with treatments works will enjoy this release. This, to date, is James Johnson's most “mainstream, new agey, relaxation piano" release. It will have a very broad appeal to those afraid of weirder-voiced ambience or highly synthesized excursions. As Michael Allison aka Darshan Ambient is one of the newer masters of melodic ambience so too I see Johnson has this ability in him to create compositionally. The dreamy and lilting pianoscapes ...

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Album Review

James Johnson: Surrender

Read "Surrender" reviewed by John W. Patterson

by John W. Patterson
November 1, 2000

Few, very few CDs I receive in the ambient genre, ever reach me as deeply as Surrender. Few, very few releases earn the right, to be called a masterpiece.Johnson's Surrender is a solid masterpiece. Ambient works collectors who desire to only collect the very best must have this release. Fans of Steve Roach, Brian Eno, Jonn Serrie, and Harold Budd will be right at home with this CD.I received this demo long, long ago and we ...