The spirit of jazz is improvisation but Angel Bat Dawid proved you could do it all yourself. Josh Johnson, saxophonist, is here to boldly challenge what we expect of a genre record with Unusual Object. There's risks taken here, and boldly iconoclastic playing, but there's also a lovely Mal Waldron cover. The entry-points for this are multiple.
The bracing "Quince" finds Johnson's sax blowing notes both short and long. His expressions spar with the sampled bursts behind him, until he cuts loose in an Archie Shepp-ish flurry. The electronic textures of this one, as well as the drum samples from Aaron Steele, and the backwards tape sounds of "Telling You" clash gently with Johnson's ruminative runs on his horn. On "Deep Dark", the samples and electronic patterns are just as integral to the success of the piece as Josh's saxophone. Joshson is finding a way to explore sounds in a jazz fashion even if he's playing all of this himself. A more traditional turn is taken with "All Alone", the Mal Waldron piece that closes the record. Johnson punctuates the melody with samples, but his saxophone assuredly guides us across the horizon. It's a yearning yet modest piece that stands as the real high point of this fine album.
Known for his many collaborations, it's significant that Josh Johnson's delivered something so strong here all on his own. Unusual Object is cutting edge yet defiantly melodic. Those looking for a neat blend of the risk-taking of contemporary jazz will find it here, as will those looking for the beauty of the form.
Unusual Object by Josh Johnson is out now via Northern Spy.
[Photo: Robbie Jeffers]