Norman Johnson, Get It While You Can

I never make a point, at least to myself, of thinking "I will never review music of x or y category, so if I put on a review CD and it's that, off it goes." If something is good at what it does, then I'll talk about it. There is a point of satiation for certain musics, but that is more cumulative for me. So when I got a copy of guitarist Norman Johnson's CD in the mail and put it on, I listened.

The CD is Get it While You Can (Pacific Coast Jazz 83454). It's Norman on electric and some acoustic, with an instrumental backdrop in the arranged light funk zone. OK so it might be music you hear when you get put on hold talking to some company. But it's miles better than most of that stuff. It is because it never goes into a bad taste zone, and because Norman Johnson can play. There is a bit of the current George Benson in there somewhere. It's bluesy. And when he gets a solo going it is very ear-worthy. And the arrangements are decent.

But mostly it's Johnson the guitarist that makes it worth hearing. He's good. Now I'd like to hear him cut loose in a small group setting. But hey, thanks for your playing Norman!