Search - Mark Johnson & Emory Lester :: Acoustic Rising

Clawgrass

M. Smith | Smyrna, GA | 12/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I never really cared for the Banjo, that is until I heard Mark Johnson's "Clawgrass" style of playing. To say the least, it is unique. It has been described as a mix of clawhammer and Scruggs-style, but it is so much more than that. With each CD, Mark Johnson's musical talent seems to grow exponentially. I cannot wait to hear what innovative sounds he comes up with next. On his past two CDs, Mark has been paired with the amazing guitar and mandolin master, Emory Lester. Independently, both Emory and Mark have unquestionable musical talent. Together they have created a new standard in music. This CD has a broad appeal, reaching the traditional bluegrass lovers and those new to the sound. It definitely has my vote for the best original album of 2006. A must have for any CD collection."

... and 1/2 ... The duo provides a magnitude of sound, tonal

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 02/20/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Playing Time - 41:58 -- Recorded in Virginia by George Hodgkiss, "Acoustic Rising" is the third solid project from this duo that has previously given us highly-acclaimed "Acoustic Campaign" and "Cruisin' the 8." Opening with a driving demonstration of Mark Johnson's confident original "clawgrass" banjo style on "Cold Creek March," the set then proceeds through two other chilly numbers, "Cold Frosty Morning" and Dylan's "Girl from the North Country." Their singing and playing about the cold actually cover us with a blanket of warmth.



Ten additional numbers drawn from a very diverse group of songsmiths from Archie Fisher to Archie Webster, David Akemon to David Norris, Mary Chapin Carpenter to Bill Monroe. Emory Lester provides guitar, mandolin, bass, viola on the Celtic ballad "Denbrae," and sings on about a quarter of the offerings. In his two originals, Johnson honors people (a newborn child "Katie Weeks" and his mother "Eileen O'Neill"). Lester chooses a minor key for his own "Wagon Line." There's plenty of vivacious drive, charismatic magnetism, and clean picking that draw us into their music. On a few numbers (e.g. "Wagon Line" or "Timberline"), I would've enjoyed hearing some fiddle, resonator guitar, or vocal harmonies, but the duo's intent here is to present their unadulterated signature sound. Perhaps some more of Emory's viola and instrumental harmony in their arrangements would have fully satisfied my need for a tad more variety. I think Ricky Skaggs even agrees with me when he stated, in his notes about the reflective closer "Eileen O'Neill," that he was "waiting for an irish piper to start playing at any time." I would've settled for viola.



Mark and Emory have been playing together as a duo since 1999. Both artists bring considerable experience to the table. Mark hails from New York but now lives in Florida where he works for the Florida Power Authority. He took up the banjo in 1971 and learned from Jay Unger. He formed a band called "Clawgrass" in 1996. Crossing paths with Larry Rice in Florida, Mark recroded an album with the Rice Brothers at Tony's home. Larry (along with Ricky Skaggs and David Grisman) provide liner notes and comments in the CD jacket. Johnson plays a Deering Custom "Ivanhoe" open-back 5-string banjo which delivers a vigorous sound firmly entrenched in tradition but still very contemporarily creative.



Emory Lester, from Virginia, lived in Canada for five years (1988-1993), won the "Mandolin Player of the Year" award there, before returning home in 1993. His previous bands have covered many genres including bluegrass (Grassworks), new age rock (Earthen Sky), and new acoustic (The Emory Lester Set). His bluegrass experience has been with top names such as Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, Del McCoury, Eddie Adcock, Bill Emerson, Jimmy Gaudreau, Gary Ferguson and Sally Love.



The proficient musicianship of Mark Johnson and Emory Lester is individually great, and collaboratively phenomenal. While overtracking is certainly a factor to consider, I'm very impressed with any duo that can provide this magnitude of sound, tonality, and vicissitude. I enjoyed the eclectic nature of their repertoire that tips its hat to old-time ("Cold Frosty Morning"), bluegrass ("Monroe's Hornpipe"), Celtic ("Denbrae"), Gospel (a seductively slow solo-banjo instrumental "Down to the River to Pray"), and folksy balladry ("Timberline"). What an accomplishment to be able to capture old-time sensibilities in such a fashionable and 20th Century way! (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now, Roseburg, OR.)

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New/Old Sound of Bluegrass

Will Jacques | Waycross, Georgia United States | 01/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a huge fan of Bluegrass music. I used to be also a huge buyer of CDs, but they got expensive and I started suscribing to XM, so I haven't bought any for a long time. This CD MADE me go out and buy it! The problem with listening to Bluegrass is that a lot of the songs start to sound the same. That's not saying anything bad about Bluegrass, any kind of music shares that same critique, look at radio rock or radio country.

Both of these guys are great, but Mark Johnson takes the banjo to a whole new level. Girl from the North Country gives me goose bumps every time I hear it. I've never heard a banjo like that and I've been playing banjo myself for 26 years. His style is old time clawhammer, but with a drive and difference that has to be heard. I hope that this album is getting the attention it deserves and I hope this group stays on its awsome road to innovation.

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