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Marc Johnson: Overpass

By Karl Ackermann
October 1, 2021
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The virtuoso bassist

Marc Johnson

bass
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">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

piano
1929 - 1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Evans' trio from 1978 until the pianist's final album the following year. His ECM debut came as a member of

John Abercrombie

guitar
1944 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">John Abercrombie's trio on Current Events (1986) with

Peter Erskine

drums
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Erskine. The same trio, plus

Bill Frisell

guitar, electric
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Frisell, under Johnson's name, released Bass Desires the same year on ECM. Overpass marks Johnson's return to Manfred Eicher's label after ten years, and is his first solo album.

ECM has a small but powerful library of solo bass recordings, most notably from

Larry Grenadier

bass, acoustic
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Larry Grenadier,

Björn Meyer

bass, electric
b.1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Bj?rn Meyer,

Gary Peacock

bass, acoustic
1935 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Gary Peacock,

Dave Holland

bass
b.1946

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Holland,

Miroslav Vitous

bass
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Miroslav Vitous, and

Eberhard Weber

bass
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Eberhard Weber. In that rarified company, Johnson's work here is more than admirable. All acoustic, with just a bit of overdubbing in places, Johnson gives us both pizzicato and arco readings in a program of five originals and covers which include

Eddie Harris

saxophone, tenor
1934 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Eddie Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance" and

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis' "Nardis."

Johnson gives way to darker impulses with his take on "Love Theme From Spartacus." He trades the effortless fluidity of the Bill Evans trio version for a somber, pedantic treatment. The slow-building "And Strike Each Tuneful String" travels from a deliberate and portentous opening to a fast-paced rumble through the instrument's bottom end. "Yin And Yang" is an exotic arco piece which emerges as a cross-cultural experiment, interweaving tempered influences.

The music of Marc Johnson, original and repurposed, mingles traditional jazz, vivid structures, and improvisation, and an intuitively unique style develops. It's quite a feat to generate so much appealing sound from a single, double bass, but Johnson is talented enough to make that kind of magic happen.

Eliane Elias

piano and vocals
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Eliane Elias, a frequent Johnson collaborator, co-produced the album with the bassist.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Freedom Jazz Dance; Nardis; Samurai Fly; Love Theme From Spartacus; Life Of Pai; And Strike Each Tuneful String; Yin And Yang; Whorled Whirled World.

Personnel

Marc Johnson

bass

Album information

Title: Overpass | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: ECM Records

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