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Richard Doron Johnson: Battle Grounds

By Greg Simmons
January 25, 2011
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In a year that saw some lionized piano trio records, Richard Doron Johnson's debut, Battle Grounds, might be the overlooked gem.

Johnson is hardly a household name, even within the small, tight circle of jazz fans. His website reveals stints with trumpeter

Wynton Marsalis

trumpet
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Wynton Marsalis and the

Thelonious Monk

piano
1917 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Thelonious Monk Institute, as well as gigs with bassist

Ron Carter

bass
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Ron Carter and guitarist

Russell Malone

guitar
1963 - 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Russell Malone. An iTunes search found only two other recordings besides this one, both as a sideman for Danish tenor man Christian Winter, and Johnson's blog has not been updated since 2008. Self-promotion is clearly not Johnson's bag.

However, Battle Grounds is worthy of some serious listening. All but two of the nine songs are originals. At a time when musicians can pour all of their technical virtuosity into making music that is impressive but not necessarily appealing, Johnson has created something noteworthy: an album of music that is a genuine pleasure to hear.

This isn't to say Johnson lacks any technical chops—quite the contrary. These songs impress by being well-crafted, sophisticated, and emotionally rich, all at the same time. This is a record that would be expected from an artist in his later years, with maturity and taste trumping exuberance and bravado.

Of course, Johnson can cook; the title track gives ample evidence of that. But the album offers so much more, with a broad range of tempos, rhythms and styles. Some of the melodies are just downright catchy; the kind of jazz tunes you might actually find yourself humming the next morning, on your way to work.

The bouncy "Rhythm to Run" features improvisation utilizing a single key melody line, recalling the sparse statements of

Count Basie

piano
1904 - 1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Count Basie. It is clear that Johnson really understands the value of playing a few well-chosen notes over playing all of them at once. There is not a single moment of

Oscar Peterson

piano
1925 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Oscar Peterson/

Art Tatum

piano
1909 - 1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Art Tatum baroque overkill on this date. Johnson even pays homage to his musical ghosts with a few sly quotes. A fragment of "Rhapsody in Blue" floats past during the Latin tinged "Ramsiepamsie." Th record covers a lot of ground, with bits of stride, Latin, hymns, blues and hard-bop, but it hangs together remarkably well as a whole, and there's not a single throwaway track..

Steeplechase CDs are not always the best sounding digital albums out there, which is a shame because, based on their vinyl, most are very well-recorded. Happily, Battle Grounds is an exception, sounding as good as any other piano trio album heard over the last few years. If this debut is any indication, Richard Doron Johnson is a pianist with a bright future.

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Track Listing

It's Been a Long Hard Road; I Should Care; Ramsipamsie; I Sit and Then I Wonder; Pent-up House; The Green Room; Battle Grounds; Dreams From My Father; Rhythm to Run; Hymn Like.

Personnel

Richard Doron Johnson

piano

Kengo Nakamura

bass

Jason Marsalis

vibraphone

Album information

Title: Battle Grounds | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: SteepleChase Records

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