Tuesday, August 19, 2014

CD Review: William Johnson's 'Sacred Roots'

William Johnson
Sacred Roots
Cedros Records

A percussion wizard with ties to Illinois, California, and North Carolina, William Johnson creates scintillating compositions with lively percussion, strings, new age sounds, and world fusion melodies that are truly unforgettable. This is an energetic release with cultural ties to Latin America and Africa with many kinds of instruments to go along with it. The vibrant kora is highlighted on "New Every Morning." The country-tinged, "Carolina," is a musically-complex tune with many influences bleeding through. A few songs have duplicate titles, which connote different instruments utilized and/or different melodies employed. There are eleven total tracks, but only a couple of these are new with different track titles. Overall, William Johnson creates a magnificent collection of sounds, melodies, and instrumental arrangements that bridge together folk, jazz, Latin, African, and Americana music into an enjoyable mix of musical heaven. ~ Matthew Forss

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