Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Norman Johnson: If Time Stood Still

156

Norman Johnson: If Time Stood Still

By

View read count
Norman Johnson: If Time Stood Still
Norman Johnson was in high school in Jamaica when he heard George Benson and became interested in the guitar. He says that he was mesmerized by Benson, and though he figured that he was too old at 16 to begin playing an instrument he went ahead. Later studying at the Hartt School of Music with Jackie McLean and Brian Keane, his influences grew to include Wes Montgomery, Earl Klugh, and Andres Segovia. Segovia fostered his love for classical music and, along with Klugh, the nylon-string guitar.

Johnson is comfortable in several styles. He realizes them through different lineups, with the underlying factor being his enunciation. He is a clean and nimble player who imbues a lyrical sonority to his textures.

"All In Time" is crafted on a nylon-string guitar. The melody is gracious and flows smoothly. Johnson gives it pith with his emphatic notes that cavort when he is upfront and form counterpoint with the ensemble lines. The hue gets deeper as the arrangement opens up to trombonist Steve Davis and the jumpy rhythms of percussionist Martin Obeng and drummer Arti Dixon.

A trio version of the soothing "Midnight Sun" finds Johnson creating a liquid groove that makes the tune shimmer; his pace deliberate and the dynamic gentle. He gets some good support from Obeng and bassist Tyler VanOstrand, who adds muscle with tensile, symmetrical lines.

Johnson finds a funky "Acoustic Groove," a solo outing that is abetted by overdubbed bass and programming. This has an endearing melody as well. He could have well let it play out prettily, but he adds bite and fleshes out the body to make it tantalizing.

Johnson balances themes and tempos well enough through his playing and arrangements. It certainly augurs well for the future which, hopefully, will produce more fine music.

Track Listing

It's Time To Fly; Acoustic Groove; Always and Forever; As It Is; Starting Tomorrow; Can I Get An Amen; If Time Stood Still; Unforgiven; All In Time; Midnight Sun.

Personnel

Norman Johnson: guitars; Tyler VanOstrand: bass; Ken Fischer: piano; Chris Herbert: sax, flute; Bob forte: drums; Arti Dixson: drums; Anthony Cusano: drums; Chris Lemp: drums; Steve Davis: trombone; Josh Bruneau: trumpet; Martin Obeng: percussion; Greg Allan: percussion; Eric Galm: percussion.

Album information

Title: If Time Stood Still | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Pacific Coast Jazz

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.