Brooklyn-based artist Jonah Parzen-Johnson returns with the new album You're Never Really Alone, out on We Jazz Records, March 8. If you look at the label on the LP containing eight intimate compositions for baritone sax & flute, you will find the words, “we made this together”. At first thought, this simple phrase may seem out of place on a solo record, but just like the compositions on this album, it was carefully crafted to cut to the core of what this music is all about.
In Jonah’s words: “It’s pretty hard to end up at a solo saxophone concert by accident. Odds are pretty good, if you are there, it is because you light up when you experience something new, something experimental. That shared desire connects us, and suddenly, for a night, we are a community. For me, being connected to those spontaneous communities is the best part of being an experimental artist. Everything I make is in service to the cultivation of that community, our community. Without it my music doesn’t exist and because of that I can joyfully say to each person, at every concert, that we made this together.”
You’re Never Really Alone arrives in stark contrast to Parzen-Johnson’s 2020 We Jazz Records solo debut, Imagine Giving Up. Where Imagine Giving Up was celebrated for Parzen-Johnson’s ability to assemble deeply evocative electro-acoustic sound worlds, “filling the landscape in one element at a time until a picture emerges that could almost be a full band,” (Wire Magazine, March 2020) You’re Never Really Alone shows us that Jonah can look you in the eye and say “my voice alone is enough”.
Across eight tracks, Parzen-Johnson, a Chicago native, explores the technical limits of his baritone saxophone and flute without ever making the listener feel like he has something to prove. You will find circular breathing, multiphonics, and explosive levels of sound, but more importantly, you will enjoy every moment of musical storytelling and compositional skill. This album is made for repeat listening.
The opening track, “When I Feel Like Myself” is a meditative invocation of self realization. Parzen-Johnson summons three and four note harmonies from his saxophone with deep control, as he gently explores how tension can become its own release. An unadorned melodic thread gently weaves each musical expression to the last, guiding us deeper into an album that simultaneously celebrates the power of one, and the yearning for exploration that unites us all.
credits
released March 8, 2024
Composed and produced by Jonah Parzen-Johnson
Mixed by Jonah Parzen-Johnson
Mastered by Alex DeTurk at The Bunker in Brooklyn NY
Design by Matti Nives
JONAH PARZEN JOHNSON / SPRING 2024
7 March - Nublu - New York NY
11 March - Tyrant Studios (The Infidels Jazz Presents) - Vancouver BC
12 March - The Chapel - Seattle WA
15 March (Afternoon) - Oregon State University - Corvallis OR
15 March (Night) - Megalith - Portland OR
19 March - The Bop Stop - Cleveland OH
21 March - Communication - Madison WI
22 March - Constellation - Chicago IL
23 March - The Jazz Gallery - Milwaukee WI
24 March - Paradigm Coffee & Music - Sheboygan WI
Relive the potent punk rock blast of NYC group The Hissyfits with this comp showcasing them in all of their snarling, hooky glory. Bandcamp New & Notable May 6, 2024
supported by 13 fans who also own “You're Never Really Alone”
Pianist Pat Thomas continues his recent resurgence with yet another release with [Ahmed]. A group named after bassist / oudist Ahmed Abdul-Malik, this is their first recorded offering since 2021’s Nights on Saturn (Communication).
https://avantmusicnews.com/2024/01/21/amn-reviews-ahmed-wood-blues-2024-astral-spirits/ Michael Borella