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Marc Johnson

Shades of Jade

ECM 987 1477

Just naming the band tells you much of what you need to know about the quality of this album.

Joe Lovano (tenor), John Scofield (guitar), Eliane Elias (piano), Marc Johnson (bass), Joey Baron (drums), plus organist Alain Mallet. Johnson divides the composing credits with his partner, Eliane Elias, and between them they've provided this top-notch band with nine wholly absorbing yet memorably winsome themes that draw all the soloists' best qualities from them.

Lovano all smoky, warbling earnestness; Scofield taut, thoughtful but gutsy; Elias lyrical and dreamy one minute, sparkling the next; Johnson himself meshing perfectly with the incomparable Baron to propel the whole affair with elegance, grace and controlled power.

Recorded in New York in January/February 2004, this is state-of-the-art original quintet music performed by masters of their craft on top form and comes strongly recommended.