Doug Johns - Pocket Fulla Nasty (2008)

In order to resonate within us, songs must be both percussive and melodic, containing the undeniable, indefinable quality of an inner pulse. With soulful songwriting and his unique ability to emulate other instruments with his bass, Doug Johns’ second solo CD, titled Pocket Fulla Nasty, grooves with a serious inner pulse.

With a resume that includes work with Victor Wooten, Buddy Miles, Steve Smith. Dweezil Zappa, and Grammy-winning producer Aaron Lindsey, Doug Johns has that rare combination of innate talent along with a mature sense for arrangement and technique. It’s no surprise that Pocket Fulla Nasty is, first and foremost, musical.

Co-produced with long-time drummer, Chris Ceja, Pocket Fulla Nasty has no shortage of musical talent. Featuring Mark Leach on Hammond, guitarists Oz Noy and Dana Rasch, Otmaro Ruiz on keys, horn greats Joe Miller, Kenny Anderson and Utah Witherspoon, and the percussive genius of Rafael Guzman, Jr., it’s obvious Doug believes in surrounding himself with great talent.

From full screaming horn lines to stripped-down bass and drums, the diversity of Johns’ second solo release is nothing short of amazing. A combination of daring musicality and stunning technique, Doug Johns’ Pocket Fulla Nasty is a funk-charged expedition through style and composition.