Jeff Johnson - My Heart (2023)

Establishing himself in Minneapolis, bassist Jeff Johnson moved east in the early '70s to play with Philly Joe Jones's band. Spending the next two decades moving from town to town, he settled quickly into a musically rich existence with his 1989 move to Seattle. Besides becoming a member of the pivotal trios of both Hal Galper and Jessica Williams, Johnson was creating another body of work with saxophonist John Gross and drummer Billy Mintz, whom he'd met while living in San Diego, along with pianist Art Resnick, who went back to his earliest playing days and had recently moved to Portland. Wrapping up a 1991 west coast tour with this quartet, Jeff booked a studio for a few hours to capture where the muse had been taking them. Tape in hand, they agreed they had found some magic, and then all went their separate ways. They rekindled the moments again and again in different combinations over the years, while My Heart remained on the shelf. Always wanting to release the album to honor the care John, Billy, and Art gave to his music, 32 years later that moment has come.

"...a trailblazing approach to composition and melodic improvisation that, like his signature playing on bass, stands out as original and fearless." - ALL ABOUT JAZZ