Grammy-winning saxophonist & producer Josh Johnson has shared “Quince,” his second and final offering off his just released LP Unusual Object.
“Quince” really highlights Josh Johnson’s ability to use his saxophone as both a background pad and a lead instrument simultaneously through his pedal rig. Here he creates an entire composition with multiple sections and layers, a whole landscape really, solely out of live and manipulated alto. the wildest thing about “Quince” and most of the tracks on Unusual Object is that they are repeatable live performances of compositions written with this setup. It lets you see the music in another way: Josh as a composer and this setup as his ‘ensemble’.
Josh Johnson is part of Jeff Parker’s incredible ETA quartet with Anna Butterss and Jay Bellerose, and he’s been honing his incredibly unique voice on saxophone and live effects for years, with each of those components being of substantial importance live. He also produced Meshell Ndegeocello’s 2023 album The Omnichord Real Book which was just recently awarded the Grammy for Best Alternative Jazz Album.
Unusual Object is a major statement from him focusing on the balance between those two elements, his lucid alto playing and the twisting and molding of that sound via pedals into a structure that supports and elevates it.
Honestly, the best thing I can say about Unusual Object is that however heady it sounds or seems, I keep coming back to listen to the record just for pleasure. It’s full of strong melodic ideas, immersive moods, satisfying textures. It’s such an incredibly personal integration of saxophone and electronics.
.How are we feeling about this one? Going to spin the new album?
