Oct 15, 2021
Dave Holland. Larry Grenadier. Miroslav Vitous. Barre Phillips. Eberhard Weber. Björn Meyer. All of these famous bass players have recorded and released solo bass recordings on the famed ECM label over the years. And now, we can add Marc Johnson to that list.
Overpass, recorded in January and February 2018 at Nacena Studios, in São Paulo, Brazil, was produced by Marc Johnson and his partner in life and music, pianist Eliane Elias. Johnson entered the studio with the idea of performing solo, but not quite sure of what the final results would sound like. He performed pieces that have been a standard part of his repertoire for more than forty years, like “Love Theme from Spartacus” and “Nardis,” both staples from his time in the Bill Evans Trio. Then there were other standards like Eddie Harris’s “Freedom Jazz Dance”, plus a reworked version of his tune from the Bass Desires album, “Samurai Fly.” Lastly, there are improvised pieces that took shape in the studio.
The result is a tribute not just to Marc’s improvisatory skills, but his intense sense of melody on the bass. The pristine sound allows the listener to feel Johnson’s physicality with the bass, and hear not only the melody and harmony, but the sound of strings and wood being used to make those sounds.
A product of the famous University of North Texas jazz bands, Johnson was playing with Bill Evans in the pianist’s final trio at the age of 25. Since then, he has been the sideman of choice for the likes of Joe Lovano, Michael Brecker, Stan Getz, Lyle Mays, Enrico Pieranunzi and of course, Ms. Elias. . As a leader, he has recorded more than ten albums under his own name, including two classic albums for ECM, Bass Desires (with John Scofield, Bill Frisell, and Peter Erskine) and Shades of Jade (Lovano, Scofield, Elias, Joey Baron and Alain Mallet).
Marc and I had previously spoken for the podcast almost ten years ago, so we were overdue for a conversation. Podcast 854 rectifies that situation as we talk about what motivated Marc to record a solo bass album, and how Overpass came together. We also talk about a forthcoming live album from the Bill Evans Trio on Resonance Records, and share insights into the Music from Man of La Mancha album he worked on with Eliane Elias, recorded in 1995 but shelved and finally released in 2018 on Concord Records. Musical selections from Overpass include “Nardis” and “Yin and Yang,” and from Music from Man of La Mancha, “The Barber’s Song.”