Josh Johnson – Freedom Exercise LP

Description

Chicago-area native Josh Johnsons vital presence in the vanguard of new jazz music is evident by his features on countless critically-acclaimed projects like Jeff Parkers Suite for Max Brown and Makaya McCravens Universal Beings. When he moved to L.A. eight years ago, he thought his stay would be temporary. The saxophonist and keyboardist would spend enough time there to learn from his heroes Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, but not a complete geographic pivot. But eight years later, Johnson is still in L.A., where he recorded his debut album Freedom Exercise with three musically omnivorous friends (the very quality that inspired him to stay on the West Coast). The songs on Freedom Exercise reflect this idea of genreless exploration a fluid combination of jazz, post-rock and electronic music. Ultimately, Johnsons compositions are concise yet expansive, like an intimate gathering in a sprawling city.