Search - J.J. Johnson :: Heroes

Given the decades that trombonist J.J. Johnson has spent plying the jazz trade, it should be no surprise to have him produce a CD with the variety and strength of Heroes. Johnson's got great backup with his quintet, which keeps its stellar harmonic footing via pianist Renee Rosnes. They steer listeners into a romantic, hazy morning on the CD's opener and closer, "Carolyn (In the Morning)" and "Carolyn (In the Evening)," and thump away in a rightly angular fashion on "Thelonious the Onliest." When Wayne Shorter steps aboard for "In Walked Wayne," the music gets a little snaky in its harmonies, egged on by Shorter's bittersweet tenor. What ends up being unusual through the whole session is Johnson's tenacity. There are rough spots in his 1990s-era catalog, places where he seems to not want to play with gutsy chops. But even when he slows down "Blue Train," Johnson keeps his tone full and rounded, ensuring that his melodies are sensual and charged where appropriate. --Andrew Bartlett