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Rating:
Marc Johnson is like Beppe Bergomi: world champion at 19, after that you can't disappoint anymore.
Because at 19, this gentleman, Johnson not Bergomi, started his career accompanying Bill Evans in his last trio, which is akin to becoming a world champion. Setting aside the soccer parallels, I don't think this talented jazz double bassist needs a special introduction, refined and virtuosic, who has made a significant contribution to jazz innovation with his Bass Desires (Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Peter Erskine), and up to an exceptional album like "The Sound Of Summer Running," recorded for “Verve” in 1998.
Here, Johnson is the leader of a deadly and intriguing formation where on one side, the airy and pulsating guitar style of Pat Metheny is flanked by the dreamlike and descriptive style of Bill Frisell, and on the other, the faithful double bass of the leader supported by the inventive drummer Joey Baron. All very strong personalities and difficult to keep balanced, yet Marc Johnson, at the helm, managed this miracle; all sounds are fully integrated and complementary to one another while undoubtedly highlighting the individualities that emerge clear and strong.
The first track, “Faith In You,” is the entry into a fascinating sound world, rich in suggestions emerging from the theme doubled by two guitars, on a dazzling and discreet rhythmic carpet, evoking vaguely folk atmospheres, even more pronounced in the following “Ghost Town,” almost with the flavor of a Jackson Browne ballad.
There is a sense of great refinement but also a desire for simplicity, popular melodies filtered through jazz jargon and a deliciously successful artistic union between Metheny and Frisell, for the sensitivity and complementarity of the two musical worlds, which is also appreciated in the blues of “With My Boots On,” where, moreover, Marc Johnson, besides the great chisel work in accompaniment, performs a wonderful solo full of knowledgeable bending (that is, note stretching). The swinging train of “Union Pacific” brings us back to a more orthodox jazz setting, where Johnson "walks" with his bass lines indicating the way for the solos of the two inspired guitars and then pauses in the quiet of “Porch swing," which, despite the title, has the evocative power of a John Ford film with a bivouac of cowboys at Missouri's fiery sunset.
Unexpectedly with a playful and light "twist," “Dingy-dong day,” the band indulges in classy musical games complete with guitars reminiscent of Hank Marvin of the Shadows, before "venturing" into “The Adventures Of Max And Ben,” a compositional contribution by Frisell and one of the album's most exploratory pieces, where very angular harmonies twist around creating and continuously destroying sound worlds where Frisell displays all his boundless sonic heritage. “In A Quiet Place” is a sweet melody composed by Marc with Eliane Elias, superbly performed and "methenyanized" by Pat with the acoustic, heralding the album's end, defined by refinement, with “For A Thousand Years,” the compositional "gift" Metheny gives to his friend Marc.
The album has flown by quickly, as certain emotions that completely captivate us do, but it leaves a caressed and serene soul, enriched by the music of an extraordinary ensemble wonderfully directed by this great bassist. This musical gem, in my opinion, deserves a place on the shelves and in the hearts of jazz enthusiasts and not, as it stands out for original creativity and refined elegance, an uncommon treasure in the abundant contemporary jazz production.
Enjoy the listening.
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