Jazz Articles about Jimmy Johnson

About Jimmy Johnson

Liner Notes

Dewa Budjana may not be a household name outside of his native country, Indonesia, but with MoonJune Records picking up this exciting guitarist and composer, all that could be about to change. He's already garnered some serious attention with his first recording for the label, Dawai in Paradise, released earlier this year (2013), but at home, he's nothing short of a pop star. Lead guitarist and songwriter for the multi-platinum, million-selling Indonesian pop/rock group Gigi, the fifty year-old Budjana has ...

Liner Notes

Dewa Budjana: Surya Namaskar

by John Kelman
May 11, 2023

There was a time when artists were able to release albums on their own schedule rather than that of the record label. While most jazz artists release, at most, one album a year these days, for some there's an even longer gap between recordings. For the most part, the days when an artist like Miles Davis was releasing two, three, sometimes even four albums in the space of a single year are long gone. There are a number of reasons ...

Liner Notes

The Trackers featuring Gary Husband & Alf Terje Hana: Vaudeville 8:45

by Mike Jacobs
January 26, 2023

What appears next on a resumé as weighty as Gary Husband's is always a matter of musical interest. Even with long and satisfying associations with legends like John McLaughlin and Allan Holdsworth, the talented drummer/keyboardist continually seeks different worthy and intriguing paths to explore--whatever his vehicle of expression. So when his latest project is co-led by a comparatively under-the-radar musician--in this case, Norwegian guitarist Alf Terje Hana--additional curiosity ensues. To that end, the story of their collaboration begins with both ...

Album Review

Mike Miller: Trust

by Jim Worsley
March 4, 2022

This record is more than a breath of fresh air. It is more like when you open the front door and that momentary rush of crisp wind blows in. Trust embraces that sensation and creates a limitless screen door of opportunity. Ten original and melodious compositions by Mike Miller seamlessly flow, and both sustain and cherish the feel of the moment for the duration. The magnitude of this project propelled Miller to assemble an elite group of musicians. ...

Album Review

Dewa Budjana: Naurora

Read "Naurora" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
August 1, 2021

Balinese guitarist Dewa Budjana's seventh album on Moonjune Records, Naurora, reveals--for those who have not heard him--a musician of seemingly unlimited talent and an artist in possession of an expansive vision. He has been called a “progressive fusion maestro" and, if he has to be labeled, that description feels right. Leading off with this disc's eleven-minute title tune, Budjana--who composed, arranged and produced the music here--lays down huge, rich soundscapes in the company of a bunch of forward-looking allstars, including ...

Album Review

Jim Kimo West: More Guitar Stories

Read "More Guitar Stories" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
September 10, 2020

Guitarist Jim Kimo West (aka Jim West) is probably best known as the guitarist in musical satirist “Weird Al" Yankovic's band. Anyone familiar with Yankovic's music knows that is an eclectic gig, but West is even more eclectic on his own. He jokingly describes this album--a sequel to Guitar Stories: Slack Key & Beyond (Westernmost Records, 2016)--as a “Slack Key, New Age, Jazz, Funk, Celtic, Americana and Indian Classical mashup." Crazy as that sounds, it is about right; West uses ...

Album Review

Dewa Budjana (with Jimmy Johnson & Vinnie Colaiuta): Surya Namaskar

Read "Surya Namaskar" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
May 12, 2014

For his seventh solo release, Indonesian guitar master Dewa Budjana garners support from the all-universe rhythm section of Vinnie Colaiuta (drums) and Jimmy Johnson (bass). Many of these works equate to a concentrated focus on song-forms, largely comprised of tuneful themes and elevated with a guts and determination modus operandi. Budjana presents the best of both worlds within a jazz rock and jazz fusion realm, where rich melodies and a dynamic slant offer a platform that resonates loud and clear. ...