Title: Up Close
Guitarist Eric Johnson’s first major label debut, ‘Tones’ was release in 1986. Garnering merely a Grammy nomination on his debut in ‘86, Johnson would take home the Grammy in ’91 for his next release, ‘Ah Via Musicom.’ Long recognized by critics, Johnson’s career seems plagued with failed “breaks” that would have launched others into the upper stratosphere of the music industry. His seemingly inability to connect with a larger audience remains an unsolved mystery. None-the-less, he continues to sporadically release high quality albums that center on instrumentals tracks with tasty albeit grit-free vocals. Reputed to be a perfectionist, one wonders whether this inability to ‘let go’ is the cause of Johnson’s limited market reach. As the “Jeff Beck of the Southern Plains,” Johnson’s ability to write, perform and arrange is beyond reproach.
On ‘Up Close’ Johnson employs his distinct approach to the guitar. Predictably he uses instrumentals to showcase this unique technique; a style that employs traditional blues textures; arcs and bends, but is simultaneously smooth with a near Stanley Jordan-like qualities.
On the cut, “Brilliant Room” Johnson once again teams up with Austin vocalist Malford Milligan to deliver an excellent radio-friendly, up-tempo song. Johnson’s use of ‘hammer down’ techniques behind Milligan’s vocals adds a delicate touch to an already enjoyable tune.
On the fourth track, “Texas” Johnson covers the Buddy Miles/ Mike Bloomfield (Electric Flag) track which is the only straight-ahead blues song.
The track “Gem” uses the guitar sounds to mimic light breaking through a diamond. It is a level of creativity that is seldom heard. “A Change Has Come to Me” harkens the acoustic song style of a previous, late and great, Austin player.
This is a brilliant album that players will immediately gravitate towards. Casual listeners will find the soundscape not only relaxing but full of depth and textures. Programmers will find the album to have long legs with plenty of tracks for broadcast. Traditional blues fans will find little
that appeals to their limited scope in musical stylings.
