Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Aubrey Johnson: Unraveled

Aubrey Johnson: Unraveled

By C. Michael Bailey
June 14, 2020
View read count

What does it take to move music from the strictly aural to revealing the more tactile elements like texture and consistency? Vocal artist, composer and arranger

Aubrey Johnson

vocals
b.1985

" data-original-title="" title="">Aubrey Johnson, with her scoring hat on, demonstrates that intelligent instrument choice and subtle arrangement of notes in time coupled with sensitive sound engineering can produce music with a palpable touch and feel. On her debut recording Unraveled, Johnson curates a delicate collection of original and originally-arranged standards with an authentic organic finish and sound.

Johnson is the product of much conservatory education. From Western Michigan University, where the singer completed her undergraduate studies while appearing on pianist

Ron Di Salvio

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Ron Di Salvio's Essence of Green (Origin, 2007) and Songs For Jazz Legends (BluJazz, 2015). From WMU, Johnson went to study at the New England Conservatory, where she worked with

Danilo Pérez

piano
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Danilo P��rez,

Jerry Bergonzi

saxophone, tenor
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Jerry Bergonzi,

Dominique Eade

vocals
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Dominique Eade,

Allan Chase

saxophone, alto
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Allan Chase,

George Garzone

saxophone, tenor
b.1950

" data-original-title="" title="">George Garzone and

Frank Carlberg

composer / conductor

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Carlberg. That is a pedigree for which to be envious.

Johnson's wordless singing (not scat and not vocalese, but the voice as a true instrument) proved attractive to a variety of performers and composers, including:

Janis Siegel

vocals
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">Janis Siegel (Manhattan Transfer),

Fred Hersch

piano
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Fred Hersch's Pocket Orchestra,

Sara Serpa

vocals
b.1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Sara Serpa's City Fragments,

John Zorn

saxophone, alto
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">John Zorn's Mycale Vocal Quartet,

Joe Phillips

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Phillips ' Numinous Ensemble,

Andrew Rathbun

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Andrew Rathbun's Large Ensemble, Rose and the Nightingale,

Travis Sullivan

saxophone, alto
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra,

Jason Yeager

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Jason Yeager, and

Randy Ingram

piano
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Randy Ingram. No wonder Unraveled is Johnson's debut; she has been busy perfecting and extending her craft.

The magic of Unraveled begins with the inspired combination of Tomoko Omura's violin and Michael Sachs' bass clarinet coupled with her rhythm section of pianist Chris Ziemba, bassist Matt Aronoff, and drummer Jeremy Noller. This makes for an original and inventive sextet out to shake things up. It is all about the sound. Johnson sets up the violin and bass clarinet to perform in unison and then off of one another, as in her originals "No More 'I Love Yous'" and "Love Again." Effective is Omura's pizzicato playing against the woody grain of Sachs' bass clarinet. This relationship is shown in a myriad of colors and flavors throughout the recording. The combination proves almost rurally rough and fragrant. It is warm and comforting without being overtly soft and blurred, like being home for the holidays.

Three carefully considered standards are presented. On Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Dindi," accordionist Vitor Gon?alves adds just the right color to the piece without drowning it in nostalgia or romance. The effect is inspiring. Johnson's wordless singing is impressive. Jimmy Rowles' "The Peacocks" features playful accompaniment from Ziemba and Sachs, giving way to Aronoff's expert beat. It is a sound garden spacious enough to walk barefooted through, feeling the sun on your face. The greatest thrill is Johnson's vocal art on Egberto Gismonti's "Karate," where the singer becomes the song with her commanding control and confident tone. The result of this debut is music reimagined in order to be heard new and fresh and felt as temproally as a kiss.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

No More 'I Love You's; Love Again; Unraveled; Happy To Stay; Lie In Wait; Voice Is Magic; The Peacocks; Dindi; These Days; Karate.

Personnel

Aubrey Johnson

vocals

Chris Ziemba

piano

Matt Aronoff

bass

Jeremy Noller

drums

Michael Sachs

clarinet, bass

Tomoko Omura

violin

Vitor Gon?alves

piano

Album information

Title: Unraveled | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Outside in Music

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Erozje
< Previous

Nick Finzer, Jeremy Pelt, Jonah Jone...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

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.