(Review
by John Charles)
RJ
(Reginald Johnson) is a Las Vegas-based pianist and keyboards player who has
put together his band “The Assignment” and regularly plays across a number of
Las Vegas venues.
A
native of Chicago RJ learnt piano in church and later was classically trained
at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas from where RJ secured a Master’s
degree in Jazz Piano Performance. RJ has
played with many soul and blues artists including Jennifer Hudson, Otis Rush,
Buddy Guy and has recently toured with Boys II Men.
Hybrid Harmony
is RJ’s fourth album as leader and is an accessible hybrid mix of jazz and r &b with a soulful slant and a dash of gospel for good measure. RJ, who looks like a youthful Nile Rogers,
wrote and composed seven of the ten tracks on the album which is a mixture of
vocal and instrumental tracks and I was particularly drawn to the vocal efforts.
Covering
the instrumentals first, Autumn Steps
is a reinvention of John Coltrane’s Giant
Steps with great sax work from composer Julian Tanaka. The title track Hybrid Harmony features RJ’s strong keyboards and My Mean Ol’ Aunt certainly has a mean
funky groove.
Vocal
efforts include an interesting cover of Tears
for Fears, Everybody Wants to Rule the
World with a bit of scat singing leading to sax and guitar solos.
Self-compositions include a soulful Klaiton Johnson vocalising on I’m Tryin’ and a gentle jazzy Walk in Your Light (vocalist uncredited).
For
me though the highlight of the album is a fantastic reworking of Andre 3000’s Prototype as featured on Outkast’s 2003
masterpiece Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. RJ’s rolling piano provides a great backdrop
to Klaiton Johnson and Aja Hawkins’ vocals echoing one another throughout the
song.
.
John C.
I’m Tryin’; My Mean Ol’ Aunt; Walk in Your Light; Hybrid Harmony; Prototype; Autumn Steps; Everybody Wants to Rule the World; Between Now and Never; Can’t Nobody; After Service.
Kiata
Brown, Aja Hawkins, Klaiton Johnson, Alisha Webster (vocals); Jason Bolden,
Donald Phillips (electric bass); Eric Runquist (upright bass); Johnny Johnson
(guitar); JulianTanaka (sax); Terry Wesley (drums); RJ (piano, keyboards): Tom
Schuman (auxilliary Instruments).
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