Fingertip Ship

Amazon.com
With all his incredible virtuosic technique, and a boatload of imaginative tunings and improvisational structures, Richard Leo Johnson falls squarely into the "where've they been all these years?" file. Johnson, a professional photographer whose interest in the acoustic guitar compelled him to practice and play constantly, has devised multiple unique tunings and fingerings, turning his double-neck acoustic into far more than the sum of its strings, chords, and customary harmonic possibilities. Where the late Michael Hedges once walked, Johnson is now sprinting, playing at frantic speeds with pile-ups of notes and hard-strummed concatenations making the ear race to follow. For all the tunings and preparations, though, there are eminently warm moments, albeit ones that will fascinate the ears of the adventurous and the guitarophile equally: "Prometheus Meets the Digital Age" is full of middle-low register playing that invokes a Dobro before going into clipped repetitions that sound unreproducible. Johnson is a magical talent and perhaps the next in a short line of guitar greats--a line that includes Hedges, Derek Bailey, Pat Metheny, Sonny Sharrock, and precious few others. --Andrew Bartlett

From Jazziz
When one considers it's a solo album, Fingertip Ship boggles the mind. It sounds like guitarist Richard Leo Johnson either used some serious multi-tracking or possesses an extra appendage. Actually, neither is true - Johnson's puzzling pyrotechnics come from his idiosyncratic approach to a double-necked 12-string/six-string, hybrid acoustic guitar. In effect, he's his own combo.

Like its title suggests, Fingertip Ship makes for good traveling music, but it alternates between sounding like sailboats and train engines. The first tune, "Glidepath," chugs along as if self-propelled, heavy-strumming patterns loaded with rhythmic energy. By contrast, the calming chords of the next track, "Tony Bennett," flow effortlessly. Percussive knocking on the body of the guitar creates an effect akin to droplets as they break the surface of placid pools. Arpeggiated chords ripple through, emerging from the undercurrents.

All the tunes display remarkably rich textures. Bass lines and treble figures retain a striking degree of independence, in part a byproduct of the unique instrument. Johnson's tunes would gain from more melodic emphasis, yet his array of well-placed timbral effects - strumming below the bridge, occasional harmonics, and various percussive sounds - keep this predominantly rhythmic album interesting and varied.

Fingertip Ship,Richard Leo Johnson,Blue Note Records,Jazz Music,New Age / Meditation,Pop,Relaxation

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