There are many vocalists with lovely voices who mine the
Great American Songbook for material; however, very few have the depth and jazz
chops of KELLEY JOHNSON. A vocalist and arranger, Johnson doesn’t rehash
familiar standards. She understands the music from the inside out, and with her
spot-on phrasing and silky, rich timbre, she is certainly one of the finest
purveyors of sophisticated lyrics on the scene today. Johnson’s newest album,
SOMETHING GOOD, is a program of 10 mostly familiar songs that she re-imagines
with fresh and personal interpretations. Her voice is warm and sexy with an
effortless sense of swing that never overwhelms the material with faux hipness.
There is an ease to her delivery that makes it sound as effortless as breathing.
SOMETHING GOOD is Johnson’s fifth CD. Her previous projects
include Home (2011), Live at Birdland (2004), which she taped in one special
night at the historic New York City club, Music is the Magic (2003), which
earned her First Place in the International JazzConnect Vocal Competition, and
Make Someone Happy (1998), her debut CD that she recorded with renowned pianist
Fred Hersch. Each of her recordings have garnered critical acclaim. The Seattle
Weekly said, "With a strong, engaging voice that's winsome without being
sweet, Johnson is the kind of singer you can lose yourself in for an evening.”
Johnson grew up in the Midwest, but has lived in Seattle for
many years, where she performs regularly in and around the city. She
participated on lengthy tours abroad in 2004 and 2008 for the U.S. State
Department’s Jazz Ambassadors program. Begun in 1956, the program today is
sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in partnership with
the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The group performed in
Turkey, Azerbaijan, Japan, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Russia, Suriname, and
Central America. After one tour, Johnson received an email from an appreciative
fan from Kyrgyzstan that read, "I felt your spirit through the meanings of
your songs, the spirit of a revolutionary person who is for a true and fair
world of people."
Indeed, Johnson chose the songs on SOMETHING GOOD not just
because they’re great songs, but because they resonate with her on a deeper
level. “These songs are about being an artist, being a partner, and being a daughter,”
says Johnson. “Like most people, I’m trying to maintain meaningful
relationships and continue pursuing love and music with all the glory and
humility that we need to keep our balance in an ever-changing world. Whether a
song is about art or love or spiritual pursuit, it’s really all the same path
to acceptance.”
Johnson’s philosophical outlook grew from a tumultuous and
very loving upbringing, surrounded by art and music. Her mother was a visual
artist who bought and fixed up houses to subsidize her career. Home for Johnson
was a transient thing. Her mother filled her art studio with the music of the
60s and 70s, and Johnson grew up listening to R&B, country, jazz, and
especially the blues. When her mother was severely injured in an auto accident,
her family took in boarders to make ends meet. Among their guests were singers,
songwriters, actors, and comedians. The house was full of art and music and
interesting, creative people. By the time the family moved to Milwaukee, Johnson
was in love with jazz. She listened to Billie, Miles, Keith Jarrett and Betty
Carter records and hung out in the city’s clubs, listening to local jazz
musicians. She went on to pursue her own musical aspirations at The Wisconsin
Conservatory of Music, from which she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She has also
served as an
assistant professor at Cornish College of the Arts and
Director of the Seattle Metropolitan Urban League’s Children’s Jazz Chorus,
among countless other musical ventures.
The musicianship on SOMETHING GOOD is top-notch and features
some of the best musicians from the Pacific Northwest, including her husband,
pianist JOHN HANSEN. Johnson and Hansen have been married and performing
together for over 20 years. Hansen is one of the most in-demand jazz pianists
and finest jazz soloists in the Northwest. Renowned jazz host Jim Wilke said of
Hansen, "Highly talented, unassuming, and offering his best effort in
every musical situation, John Hansen is a versatile sideman, accompanist and
soloist who's a valued part of several top recording and performing jazz
groups.”
Also joining Johnson are bass player MICHAEL GLYNN, who has
performed with jazz legends such as Bud Shank, Jon Hendricks, Bobby Shew, Dave
Grusin, and Eric Alexander, to name just a few; Houston-raised, NY drummer KENDRICK
SCOTT, who records as a leader on the Blue Note label; and the versatile
multi-instrumentalist JAY THOMAS, one of Seattle’s storied legends who has
performed with a Who’s Who of top jazz artists, and has recorded with Ray Brown
and Elvin Jones, among many others.
Johnson opens SOMETHING GOOD with Stephen Sondheim’s “Anyone
Can Whistle,” a song that posits that allowing oneself to experience love is as
easy as learning to whistle. “Goodbye to Love” was originally a pop song composed
by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis, and first performed by The Carpenters.
But the arrangement by Johnson and Hansen turn the song into a straight-ahead
jazz tune with solid scatting. Johnson adds a suggestive element to Cole
Porter’s “You Do Something to Me” and demonstrates her creative phrasing on a
subtly swinging version of “Lullaby of Birdland.” Johnson was attracted to the
clever lyrics of “Let’s Do It,” and her swinging, sensual interpretation mines
them perfectly. Her arrangement of Leonard Bernstein and Adolph Green’s “Some Other
Time” takes the song into new territory with unexpected changes in meter.
Johnson loves Carmen McRae’s version of “Tip Toe Gently,” but rather than
emulate McRae, Johnson takes the song in a new direction. Johnson and Hansen
made it new with a re-harmonization of “Unforgettable,” which features a
seductive muted trumpet performance by Thomas. Johnson closes the CD with “You
for Me,” an upbeat love song first performed by Blossom Dearie, and “Something
Good” -- a perfect description of the music on this album, composed by Richard Rodgers
(after Hammerstein’s death) for the film version of The Sound of Music.
Kelley Johnson is endlessly creative. She plays with time
and melody like a horn player, while her voice has a luminous quality. She and
Hansen are also inventive arrangers, and their takes on these classics make
them sound completely fresh and new.
