reprinted from: Jazz Connection Magazine     .     October  2004     .     www.jazzconnectionmag.com
by
Stephen Fratallone/Jazz Connection Magazine  

Graham Johnson   Kaffe Krusaderne with Graham Johnson Bassmon Productions  Rating:

     After graduating from high school last year, eighteen-year-old pianist Graham Johnson from Chico, CA, headed off to Norway for a year before beginning his undergraduate studies this fall at Oberlin College in Ohio. Utilizing his time abroad creatively, he connected with native Norwegian jazz musicians to jam, perform and record. 

The result of such a collaborative musical union is found in the album, Kaffe Krusaderne, on Johnson's own independent label, Bassmon Productions. The seven-track CD provides the perfect vehicle to showcase the precocious teen pianist's mature original compositions. As Cervantes once wrote, "The proof is in the pudding."

Joining "Ambassador" Johnson for this international musical summit are Eirik Dørsdal, trumpet and flugelhorn; Tor G. Simonsen, tenor and soprano saxophone; Per Magnus Gundersen, electric guitar; Thomas Pedersen, upright bass; and Eirik Kulø, drums.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's My Favorite Saga (a.k.a., My Favorite Things), the album's only standard, gets things off to a breathtaking start. Lena Hanssen handles the vocal duties very nicely.

Johnson soars high on November and Regndans (co-written with Simonsen), two lightly-textured hard bop pieces, while things come to a melancholy mood on the ballad, Vintersol, reflective no doubt, of the isolation of the long and cold Norwegian winters.

The pensive Skritt For Skritt (another Simonsen collaboration), features Simonsen's delicately fluttering soprano sax, and the salsa-flavored Ukjent, gives a festive air to the proceedings.

The swinging jazz waltz, No End, unfortunately brings the CD to a close. 

Johnson once again displays great imaginative keyboard technique, fresh compositional ideas and arrangement skills, while leading a tight-sounding group of fine musicians.

Another diplomatic victory for the young American pianist. Johnson is definitely a legend-in-the-making.

Track selections:  My Favorite Saga, November, Vintersol, Regndans, Skritt For Skritt, Ukjent, No End

Recorded in 2003 - 2004 at Trondertun Folkehogskole in Gimse, Norway.

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