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Marc Johnson: Overpass
by Mario Calvitti
I dischi di solo contrabbasso non sono così frequenti come quelli di altri strumenti che maggiormente si prestano a essere suonati senza accompagnamento, ma nel catalogo ECM ne sono presenti diversi fin dai primi anni di vita dell'etichetta, dovuti soprattutto a Barre Phillips e Dave Holland (presenti anche con un duo), oltre che a Eberhard Weber, una delle colonne portanti della label tedesca, e a Miroslav Vitous. Recentemente, proprio a Phillips si deve una specie di revival della pratica del ...
Continue ReadingMarc Johnson: Overpass
by Karl Ackermann
The virtuoso bassist Marc Johnson has kept a relatively low profile as a leader. A graduate of the prestigious North Texas State University jazz program, Johnson made his mark as a member of Bill Evans' trio from 1978 until the pianist's final album the following year. His ECM debut came as a member of John Abercrombie's trio on Current Events (1986) with Peter Erskine. The same trio, plus Bill Frisell, under Johnson's name, released Bass Desires the same year on ...
Continue ReadingBill Evans: Everybody Still Digs Bill Evans: A Career Retrospective (1956 - 1980)
by Chris May
Only occasionally do classy looking limited-edition box sets prove to be a triumph of style and substance. Too often they are undermined by cheapskate packaging, over elaborate design, poorly written and researched booklets, inadequate session details or, most egregiously, bizarre (in a bad way) track selections. So it is a more than pleasant surprise when something comes along which succeeds, and succeeds magnificently, on all those fronts. Such an item is Concord Records' Craft imprint's Everybody Still Digs Bill Evans: ...
Continue ReadingMarc Johnson / Eliane Elias: Swept Away
by Dan McClenaghan
Swept Away is certainly a collaborative effort--co-led by Eliane Elias and bassist Marc Johnson--but it seems more like the pianist's set. The Sao Paolo-born pianist, Elias, penned five of the disc's eleven tunes, and co-wrote two more with her musical/life partner, Johnson. The duo, in league with drummer Joey Baron and, on five tunes, saxophonist Joe Lovano, has produced the most sumptuous music imaginable, beginning with the Elias-penned title tune--a floating trio effort, a sensual haiku to unadorned beauty.
Continue ReadingMarc Johnson / Eliane Elias: Swept Away
by John Kelman
It's a relatively rare occasion when Marc Johnson releases an album under his own name, but based on the bassist's track record--from Bass Desires (ECM, 1985) through to Shades of Jade (ECM, 2005)--it's always one to celebrate. As Johnson fast approaches 60, it seems like only yesterday that he emerged as the bassist in Bill Evans' final trio in the late 1970s, before the piano legend's passing in 1980. But if time has passed, one thing that has remained constant ...
Continue ReadingMarc Johnson: Shades of Jade
by AAJ Italy Staff
Il contrabbassista Marc Johnson conosce bene l'arte di attendere l'ispirazione senza piegarsi alla ignobile fretta dettata dalle strategie di mercato. Questo Shades of Jade arriva dopo un periodo di silenzio quasi sabbatico e celebra in particolar modo un sodalizio importante con la pianista brasiliana Eliane Elias che è certamente la voce principale che emerge dai dieci brani che compongono questo album. Non mancano altri contributi importanti come quelli di Joe Lovano al sax tenore e di John Scofield alla chitarra ...
Continue ReadingMarc Johnson: Sweet Tone for Sweet Tunes
by R.J. DeLuke
Marc Johnson is an extraordinary musician, but recordings under his own name are infrequent. That can often be the case for people whose instrument is the contrabass. But for this musician, it seems more about making statements when the time is right.
Johnson plays exquisite bass, with the luscious tone and great harmonic and melodic expression that came to the ear of most people in jazz during his two-year tenure with the legendary Bill Evans nearly 30 years ago. Even ...
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