Great instrumentalists who are equally accomplished vocalists date back to jazz’s formative years, when giants like Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden were both outstanding soloists and tremendous singers. There have been many others since, most notably Nat “King” Cole (who largely abandoned the piano as his singing fame exploded. Perhaps the most recent example is George Benson (who still sneaks in a few guitar solos, but has earned his commercial stripes for hit vocals).
During her career’s early stages, Liz Johnson divided her focus between singing delightful, engaging ballads, show tunes and originals, and executing sophisticated, intricate alto sax solos that reflected the influence of such stylists as Paul Desmond and Lee Konitz.
But Johnson’s strictly (or mostly) a vocalist now. She demonstrated Friday night at the Nashville Jazz Workshop’s Jazz Cave an impressive maturity, confident manner and technical mastery that reflects strong devotion to and sizeable growth in that end of the jazz tradition.
Johnson’s become excellent in every aspect of jazz singing. She swings effortlessly. Moreover, she frequently displayed first-rate skill at “scatting,” the practice of wordless byplay and rhythmic verbal fireworks that’s magical when done well, but tedious otherwise. She headed a fine band whose roster included the Nashville Jazz Workshop’s founding husband/wife pair bassist Roger Spencer and pianist Lori Mechem. They continue to demonstrate during concerts that they are not just able administrators and world class teachers, but brilliant, versatile session players who can handle any and all musical situations.
Additional players were trombonist (and occasional vocalist) Roy Agree, also in top form, and wonderful drummer Duffy Jackson, resplendent on drums while providing robust percussive muscle. The quintet delighted a full house for two lengthy sets plus an encore with joyful renditions that balanced brilliant individual and group playing with moments of mirth and levity. They repeatedly showed a great jazz group can entertain and have fun without sacrificing musical integrity.
Johnson’s adlibs and comments were highly appreciated. Once she joked about adding lyrics to tunes like “Yardbird Suite” (“Don’t tell anyone since they might get after me for publishing,” she quipped). Another time she described her composition “A Contra Fact,” as one where she “worked out my own melody over chord changes like a lot of jazz musicians do when they don’t want to pay for covering someone else’s tunes.”
Most importantly, Johnson and company were consistently superb, while delivering a program that ably blended vintage and contemporary works, plus standards and originals. Johnson soared on such songs as ”Willow Weep For Me,” “Bernie’s Tune,” “Filthy McNasty” and the second set finale “I’ll Remember April,” which she dedicated to the late Charles Dungey. On each, she sang the basic melodies with a keen blend of elegance and energy. She never overdid or rushed through the lyrics, presenting storylines in a fashion that made them seem her own despite their familiarity. On her tunes and/or those co-written with Mechem like “Fayi” or “The Calling,” Johnson alternated between lush, evocative presentations and emphatic, precise renditions. She was appropriately loud or soft, sultry or bluesy. At various points she delved into songs previously popularized by everyone from Billie Holiday to John Coltrane (the encore “Softly As In A Morning Sunrise”).
Agee’s trombone solos and support were uniformly crisp and memorable. Sometimes he delivered rapid-fire, hard edged licks and phrases, other times nifty runs, slurs, or effects. Jackson had three monster solos and two crowd-pleasing scat exchanges with Johnson and Agree. Spencer was reliable and splendid, with his finest solo coming on “Bewitched.” Mechem was just as strong, excelling on several pieces, among them “The Great Invocation,” “Yardbird Suite,” “Bernie’s Tune” and “The Calling.”
Liz Johnson and her mates earned two well-deserved standing ovations, and there’s no doubt she’s put her name on the short list of Music City’s top jazz vocalists. If the trade-off means we won’t hear much of her alto sax in the immediate future, in one sense that’s a shame. But the sacrifice is definitely worth it, due to the impact she’s making with her voice.
