Out Today: Free to Dance by Deron Johnson

We are thrilled to announce that Deron Johnson’s Free to Dance is out today on Colorfield Records.

Album Notes:

Since the late 1980s, LA-based jazz keyboardist Deron Johnson has worked with everyone from Stanley Clarke to David Sanborn and Seal, not to mention a memorable stint and close collaboration with Miles Davis. Those brushes with some of music’s greatest talents laid the groundwork for Johnson’s new album, Free to Dance.  

Recorded with producer Pete Min (Feist, The Strokes, Orville Peck) at his LA studio homebase, Lucy’s Meat Market, the collection of spellbinding, largely instrumental pieces came together in 10 improvised sessions. 

“I would walk in and Pete would ask me ‘what do you want to jump on?’” laughs Johnson, who deftly danced across unusual instruments such as the Persian santur, gamelan strips, and tiny Tom Thumb piano. “Songs were birthed, then we chopped them up and moved pieces around. After that, we started thinking about our G.O.A.T.s that we wanted to have on the record.”

For Johnson, the current greatest of all time is tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, whose moody, breathy tone-floats curlicue three songs on Free to Dance. Other guests include hard-hitting drummers Mark Giuliana and Jonathan Pinson, flugelhorn player C.J. Camerieri, and in-demand saxophonist Sam Gendel.

Self-described as a “vessel,” Johnson continually seeks out fellow players who feel music flowing through them like water. On “Call Me Back,” that’s channeled through the tinny, gravelly voice of an answering machine from the Prince of Darkness himself. The effervescent centerpiece, “I Don’t Have To Wait For A Clear Day,” features Alan Hampton’s gorgeous vocals surrounded by spellbinding cycling pianos. This piece was partially inspired by vocalist Bernard Fowler’s work with neoclassical composer Philip Glass, and partially inspired by Johnson’s late mother.

“Alan only sang two lines,” Johnson explains. “It’s mainly an instrumental piece, so I just wanted a splash of something. That song is a nod to my mom who was really sick when I was making this record, and passed away near the end of it. One of her favorite jazz songs was ‘On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever).’ I wanted there to be a ‘Clear Day’ on this album, too.”

- Jesse Locke

TRACKS: 1. Talk Mourner / 2. Call Me Back / 3. Robot Bebop / 4. Can A Song Save Your Life / 5. Free To Dance / 6. (I Don't Have To Wait) For A Clear Day 7. Mimo Omi / 8. Santur / 9. The State I'm In / 10. Apocryphal