Walt Johnson - Warmth of the Sun (2006)

the instruments in the orchestra are actors in a story. one need
only listen to determine who the leading men and the ladys are, as well
as the good guys and the bad guys, the young characters and the old.

a fine musician is a person who can make his particular instrument change
sound and approach, so that the instrument can play many acting parts in
the story. a great soloist is the required actor.

walt johnson is a "great musical actor" in "warmth of the sun" his latest
album, walt shows a wonderful and gntle side of his musical mastery.
in one moment, i am reminded of "kind of blue" by miles davis many years
ago with its caressive harmon muted softness, and in the next, i want to
pull a chair over to an open second story window looking west just at
sunset upon a beautiful view, so i can sit.... and day dream.

some years ago, the working trumpet players in jazz music inherited
the german cousin to the trumpet called the fluegel horn. this is
primarily due to the influence of a name chet baker. the mellow sounding
fluegel horn has a much gentler approach than the trumpet with its high
frequency edge.

throughout the years, there have been many great fluegel artists like
shorty rogers, buddy childers, and warren luning. today, we have
walt johnson added to this list. his gentle fluegel style is a wonderful
thing to hear on "perfect night" and " have you ever?"

no doubt the sound enclosed in this album will be considered as what
musical categorizers today call "new age music", complete with a light
touch of rap on certain tracks, but happily never enough to harm the
music so lightly handled by walt and the wonderful group that plays
with him.

it's interesting that a man who can play the trumpet with the power of a
maynard ferguson can also employ the moodiness of a jack sheldon with
muted horn. if you like what walt does with the trumpet, buy any of the
soundtrack albums of " nakes gun" pictures from just a few years ago to
hear him swing with a big band. but if you're like me and long sometimes for
music that is mild, and gentle, listen to walt on "warmth of the sun".
the album is a harmonic tranquilizer, a melodic massage.

frank sinatra jr.


walt johnson is one amazing trumpet player! he has played lead trumpet for the likes of frank sinatra, elvis presley, barry manilow, barbara streisand, the pointer sisters, lionel ritchie, the commodores, wayne newton, johnny mathis, melissa manchester, tower of power, lionel hampton, mel torme, vic damone, dionne warwick, burt bacharach, henry mancini.