The Lively Air - Aubrey Johnson
The Lively Air
Aubrey Johnson
Greenleaf Music (greenleafmusic.com/artists/aubrey-johnson/the-lively-air)
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The Lively Air is an exciting second album from vocalist and composer Aubrey Johnson. The arrangements and compositions are described as “Johnson’s return to composing after years of writer’s block” and within mere seconds of listening it’s obvious that some things are worth waiting for.
Johnson is joined by a stellar cast of musicians, including Alex LoRe on woodwinds, Chris McCarthy on piano and Fender Rhodes, Matt Aronoff on bass, and drummer Jay Sawyer. Violinist Tomoko Omura fits into the mix brilliantly, sounding equally grounded playing ensemble parts and improvised solos. The group floats smoothly between “chamber” moments, and aesthetics more commonly associated with a jazz group.
This multitude of complementary aesthetics may very well be the unifying theme of The Lively Air. Vocally, Johnson strikes an effortlessly effective balance of folksy lyricism and immaculate horn-like precision. This is reflected in the arrangements as well, with singable (literally and figuratively) melodies soaring above dense contemporary harmonies. Johnson’s late uncle is keyboardist Lyle Mays, who composed Chorinho. This track and the album’s other “covers” fit naturally alongside original pieces.
The Lively Air is an exhaustive offering. Its runtime is barely shy of an hour, but with so much for a listener to digest, I wondered if it could function as a double album. This is far from a complaint, and if it sounds like one, it’s akin to “my steak is too tender!”