J.J. JOHNSON
Heroes (Verve)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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Do you realize how incredible and unlikely it is for an artist in any genre to be making some of his best music over fifty years after his debut? That's definitely the case here. J.J. Johnson, thought in most circles to be the finest trombonist in the history of jazz, continues to write cutting edge material.

Johnson's choice of musicians is as interesting as the music itself. This is the same group of talented players who backed him on his last album, The Brass Orchestra which was nominated for three grammy awards. The subtle center of the group is pianist Rene Rosnes, who, at 37 years of age, has developed an easy, flowing style and a beautiful sound of her own. Her creativity compliments Johnson's in unexpected ways, offering him all kinds of melodic possibilities for his always creative solos. With studio vets Rufus Reid on bass and Victor Lewis on drums, the groove, however subtle, is never lost.

Tenor saxophonist Dan Faulk's work was already cut out for him just having to keep up with J.J. Johnson, but since he does that so admirably, Johnson gave him a truly daunting task: performing the John Coltrane classic, "Blue Train." Faulk takes this ticket to failure and turns in a triumphant reading instead, avoiding the obvious pitfalls by making it his own rather than trying to ace Trane at his own game. The guest shot by Wayne Shorter on "In Walked Wayne" is a nice bonus, but Heroes stands on its own. The 75 year old J.J. Johnson says this is his retirement album. let's hope not, but if it is, he's going out on a very positive note. Then again, his career has been nothing but.

© 1999 - DJ Johnson