Marc Johnson: A Soaring Solo Flight

Jim Roberts sits down with Marc Johnson to discuss the process and inspiration behind his new solo bass album 'Overpass'

Marc Johnson: A Soaring Solo Flight

Jim Roberts sits down with Marc Johnson to discuss the process and inspiration behind his new solo bass album 'Overpass'

Making a solo bass album, says Marc Johnson, was “a long time coming, but it was something I always wanted to do.” A busy schedule of touring and recording—his lengthy discography includes more than 150 albums—kept the 67-year-old bassist from getting to that project for years. Then, early in 2018, Johnson was in Sao Paulo with his wife, Brazilian pianist Eliane Elias, and everything came together. He had a few days open and access to NaCena Studio and its excellent engineer, Rodrigo de Castro Lopes. Elias was also on hand, as his co-producer, and Johnson did the sessions that yielded his solo album, Overpass, which was released on ECM Records on August 27th. Johnson played a bass made by the Brazilian luthier Paulo Gomes. “It’s the one that he rents out to players when they come to town,” explains Johnson. “A lot of great bass players have played it; Ron Carter knows that bass, classical player Gary Karr knows that bass. What I love about the instrument is that it’s
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Jim Roberts   By: Jim Roberts