Alphonso Johnson - 1976 - Moonshadows

surfingtheodyssey.blogspot.com.ar/2018/03/alphonso-johnson-1976-moonshadows.html

Alphonso Johnson
1976
Moonshadows

01. Stump
02. Involuntary Bliss
03. Cosmoba Place
04. Pandora's Box
05. Up From The Cellar
06. Amarteifio
07. On The Case
08. Unto Thine Own Self Be True
Bass, Chapman Stick [Electric Stick], Vocals – Alphonso Johnson
Drums – Ndugu Leon Chancler
Drums, Keyboards – Narada Michael Walden
Guitar – Chris Bond, David Amaro, Blackbird McKnight, Lee Ritenour
Keyboards – Patrice Rushen
Keyboards – Ian Underwood
Keyboards, Vocals – Dawilli Gonga
Orchestra [Orchestron], Voice, Choir, Keyboards – Alphonse Mouzon
Percussion – Airto Moreira, Alejandro Acuna
Reeds – Bennie Maupin
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Soprano Saxophone – Gary Bartz
Vocals – Flora Purim

Alphonso Johnson (born 2 February 1951 in Philadelphia) started as upright bass player,
but switched to the electric bass in his late teens. He played as session bassist with a few
jazz musicians (his early gigs included time with Horace Silver, Woody Herman (1972),
Chuck Mangione (1973), and Chet Baker )and then changed co-founding member Miroslav
Vitous in Weather Report. Johnson, ranked alongside peers Stanley Clarke and Steve
Swallow, was considered one of the best bassists of the period. His playing was featured
on the Weather Report album Mysterious Traveler, on the songs Cucumber Slumber and
Scarlet Woman. As Weather Report's bassist from 1974 to 1976, Johnson's warm tone and
fluent chops contributed to the band?s initial breakout from avant-garde into funk fusion.
Then he left the band to work with drummer Billy Cobham. During 1976-77 he recorded
three solo albums as a band leader, for the Epic label, in a fusion-funk vein.

During the late 1970s, Johnson began playing and recording with an instrument called the
Chapman Stick, which is a bass with an extra five strings so a player can simulate bass and
lead guitar tones simultaneously. In 1978, Johnson appeared on trumpeter Eddie
Henderson's fusion album Sunburst, which came out on Blue Note Records . He was
mentioned as possible replacement of Steve Hacket in Genesis, and participated on Phil
Collins solo debut. In early 1982, Johnson joined Grateful Dead member Bob Weir's side
project, Bobby and the Midnites. He would reunite with Weir playing bass in place of Phil
Lesh on The Other Ones 2000 tour. He has performed fusion versions of Grateful Dead
covers alongside Billy Cobham in the band Jazz Is Dead.

In 1985-1989 Alphonso played in Santana's band. Later in 1996, Johnson toured with
saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist, James Beard, drummer Rodney Holmes and, guitarist
David Gilmore playing shows that stretched across Europe and Japan. Johnson performed
with Jazz Is Dead until 2002, and appears on the albums Blue Light Rain, Laughing Water,
and Great Sky River. Johnson has taught all over the world and in 2004 he was appointed
associate professor of music at the University of Southern California, whose jazz faculty
includes drummer Peter Erskine and keyboardist Alan Pasqua.

With all these jazz-funk-fusion bass players such as Stanley Clarke,Jaco Pastorius and the
like beginning solo careers in the mid 70's it seemed only fitting that Weather Report's
Alphonso Johnson would do the same thing. With a list of over a bakers dozen musicans-
everyone from Patrice Rushen,Lee Ritenour,Flora Purim,Ndugu Chancler,Ian Underwood
and Gary Bartz you'd think the sound on this album is very cluttered. It doesn't.The music
on this album emerges as a musical feast that is easily as potent and meaningful as a
Weather Report album such as Mysterious Traveller and Tale Spinnin':with a sound that
maintains a fusion of funk,latin and progressive jazz with avante garde touches.
"Stump","Up From The Cellar" and "On The Case" are spot on jazz-funk where Alphonso
works his bass into grooves AND excellent compositions that that really provide this great
musical kick and the groove actually mutates along with the instrumentation as opposed to
somewhat against it,setting it well apart from Weather Report. The middle section of the

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album is set up with the more abstract and atmospheric Brazillian-fusion pieces with
"Involuntary Bliss","Cosmoba Place" and "Pandora's Box". All are very beautiful but also
very haunting and forboding. Then again,isn't great beauty in pretty much anything kind of
the same way? "Amarteifio" presents a very Flora Purimish sound...featuring Flora Purim
and it's a wonderful marriage of vocalist and musician's sound combining into one. And yet
more proof that Flora's sense of being a human musical instrument with an ability to keep
up with just about any musician she's involved with. I must respectfully say that I don't
entirely agree with another reviews comment on "Unto Thine Own Self Be True". I always
appreciated Narada Michael Walden's spiritual/meditative approch to his brand of
progressive funk/fusion and this cut could've easily come off of Narada's own Garden of
Love Light. If he is to be considered one of the prejenitors of new age Narada was
someone who got it right somewhere. This album is a vital part of the 70's funk/fusion
movement and with it's great album cover also reflects the artistic spirit of the period. There
is a sense of great freedom and thoughtfullness in this music and,as in the best of funk of
the period it invites you to join in and be merry while your having the musical experience.

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