Washington, DC
July 15, 2007
The famed Blues Alley Jazz Club in the Georgetown section
of Washington, DC was the home to a packed house of fans eager
to hear some old and some brand new music from local favorite,
keyboardist Marcus Johnson. They were not at all disappointed. Marcus
performed at Blues Alley for three nights in preparation for
the release of his new CD, The Phoenix,
on July 17th.
With Marcus was one of the tightest bands I have heard in
a long time: Stanley Cooper on guitar, David Dyson on
bass, Marcus Anderson on sax/vocoder, Patrick Cooper on keys,
Kenny Martin on percussion, and Jason Holt on drums. These
musicians, simply put, were amazing. And sitting directly
in front of Marcus Johnson, gave me the chance to watch him
master the keys on both a keyboard and baby grand piano…sometimes
simultaneously and most of the time with his eyes closed!
The nearly two hour show opened with “Pavilion” followed
by a crowd favorite, “Dukin It Out.” The
latter had saxman, Marcus Anderson taking the lead. He
is a very strong, personable musician who really engaged the
crowd. “Maxin’,” Marcus’ first
song ever written and put on a CD, was up next. This
is a very beat driven tune with a great groove. Again,
Marcus Anderson was flying on the sax. It was interesting
to watch Marcus Johnson’s face while his bandmates were
playing. He has such passion for the music and pride
in their accomplishments, as well.
Marcus gave a little insight into the titling of his new CD, The
Phoenix, before playing two new tracks. He
said that as of late, the music industry has nearly fallen
to ashes, but that hard work and dedication to doing what
you love to do, will bring you back and raise you up. He
then played “You and I” making sure everyone
knows that you are never alone in this world. It
was a powerful song and afforded a riveting solo by keyboardist,
Patrick Cooper, as well as having Marcus Anderson out in
the crowd on sax. The final song of the evening
was the first released single, “Road to Los Suenos.” Bass
player, David Dyson, had a solo that just blew everyone
away.
All-in-all, a very fun evening with great music from the long
history of Marcus Johnson, and a taste of music to come.
- Bonnie Schendell |
