THE KRIS JOHNSON QUARTET TREATS CUBE AUDIENCE TO IMPECCABLY EXECUTED STANDARDS & ORIGINALS

Kris Johnson

The jazz trumpeter Kris Johnson should do everything humanly possible to keep together the band he premiered on Friday night at the CUBE, comprised of drummer Nate Winn, bassist Jonathon Muir-Cotton, and pianist Alexis Lombre. They proved to be a modern bop driven machine, performing some jazz standards but mostly Johnson’s originals. Johnson is an established musician, music educator, and composer. Years ago, I heard him play in trumpeter Marcus Belgrave’s Trumpet Summit at the Detroit Jazz Festival. Belgrave had assembled a group of rising jazz trumpeters from across the United States, and Johnson stood out and over time became world-class with such honors as a Kresge Fellow, director of the Detroit Symphony Civic Jazz Orchestra, and a key member in the Count Basie Orchestra. Plus, he made recordings as a leader such as “The Unpaved Road” and “Journey Through A Dream” destined someday to be jazz classics. At the CUBE, his band'S treatment of standards such as Miles Davis’ Four was impeccable, but the audience got to witness the breadth of his genius when he soared on originals such as Birth of Angel, My Apology and Morning Dance. On the latter, he blew with such conviction and such force I feared his trumpet was going to explode. There were awe-inspired moments from Lombre and Cotton, two incredible talents. Lombre brings a high grade of enthusiasm to bands she performs in, and Cotton’s understanding of his role in a band and his command of the bass is comparable to Grammy-winning jazz bassist Robert Hurst. In recent years, Nate Winn has become the finest jazz drummer around Detroit, embodying the taste and acumen that helps make Johnson’s quartet special. Lombre’s, Cotton’s and Winn’s musical genius under Johnson’s leadership made for an unforgettable concert. One of the best I’ve attended at the CUBE. Johnson would be wise to keep this quartet going.