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James Johnson III: Full Circle
ByEsbjorn Svensson's "Seven Days of Falling" is the high point of the record in terms of Johnson's arranging chops. Compared to the original arrangement, the drummer's chart is radically simplified; he has forgone Dan Berglund's bass intro, streamlined the bass line, and supplanted that open space with Carolyn Perteete's hypnotizing vocals. These reductions and the space that results pack as much of a punch as the playing itselfthis, essentially, captures the overall condition of the record. Johnson pulls triple duty on drums, percussion, and keyboard bass on his version of Kenny Kirkland's "Blasphemy." Johnson, having done his homework, pays homage to Kirkland by putting his own twist on the distinct triplets written into the original tune. Vocalists Matt Mason and Zuliakha Mason sing the lead with keyboardist Alton Merrell, leaving Sean Jones to add color with his strongest performance on the record. Track 7 is an original composition entitled "Movement." The track is something of a divergence from the tracks preceding it; while Johnson leaves a significant amount of space on all of his original compositions, "Movement" is packed to bursting capacity with keyboard bass, Ryan Tedder's drum programing, and echo effects. As distinct as the track is however, it remains very much in the thematic vein established by the first half of the record.
Perhaps the most problematic aspect of Full Circle is Johnson's decision to include a version of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun." The drummer's arrangement is gorgeous; Mark Lucas' fingerpicking is sublime, Perteete's vocals are haunting, and bassist Claude Flowers adds structure to the form, avoiding unnecessary flourishes. It is, very simply, the misfit on the record and it lacks the proper context needed to ground it on the same plain as the other tracks. Qualms with this track aside, Full Circle is a beautifully made record. While it might not be emblematic of the direction of the overarching Pittsburgh scene, it does reveal Johnson's maturation as a practitioner and gives some indication of his trajectory going forward.
Track Listing
Full Circle; Rebirth; Metaphor; Seven Days of Falling; Cyclic; Blasphemy; Movement; Black Hole Sun; Big Brother.
Personnel
James Johnson III
drumsJames Johnson III: drums, percussion, keyboard, keyboard bass, vocals; Zuliakha Mason: vocals; Matt Mason: vocals; Brett Williams: keyboard; Sean Jones: trumpet; Claude Flowers: bass; Clifford Barnes: keyboard; Carolyn Perteete: vocals; Paul Thompson: bass; Alton Merrell: keyboards; Lorenze Jefferson: French horn; Ryan Tedder: drum programing; Mark Lucas: guitar.
Album information
Title: Full Circle | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Self Produced
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About James Johnson III
Instrument: Drums
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