Album Notes

All Music Guide Review

Liz Johnson is a refreshing exception among singers, one who can put new life in standards and classic jazz compositions, as well as pen lyrics to such songs that don't already have their own.

Her clear vocals are matched by her ability as an alto saxophonist, though she features the latter sparingly. "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" is well known to instrumentalists, but how many jazz fans have heard it with its obscure lyrics? Richard Rodgers' "Loads of Love" is hardly one of his signature tunes, yet the singer's personable performance of it makes one wonder why it isn't. Johnson's sassy approach to the song is complemented by Dennis Solee's wailing tenor sax. She goes it alone with bassist Jerry Navarro in a swinging take of George Gershwin's "Our Love Is Here to Stay." "Mox Nix" has hardly been performed (let alone recorded) by anyone other than its composer, Art Farmer.

Johnson's vocalese easily negotiates the tricky changes within this overlooked hard bop gem. "Bernie's Tune," which is forever associated with the late Gerry Mulligan, mixes her cool vocalese with a bit of lively scatting. She finally picks up her alto sax for a cooking treatment of Horace Silver's soulful "Filthy McNasty," which also showcases Lori Mechem's down-and-dirty piano. Mechem and Johnson collaborated on two originals, including the breezy ballad "The Calling," which sounds as it could have come from a circa-'40s Broadway score, as well as the bittersweet "That We Loved." Liz Johnson is a talent deserving of wider recognition.

--Ken Dryden - All Music Guide