Hi all - today we're announcing next Colorfield Records LP, by the keyboardist Deron Johnson, who has an unbelievably rich musical history, including stints with Paula Abdul, Stanley Clarke and David Sanborn. Johnson also notably served as keyboardist for Miles Davis (who materializes here briefly in voicemail form), playing on his Doo-Bop LP and touring extensively with him in his final years. In recent years he's done substantial work scoring podcasts and films. 

The first single, "(I Don't Have to Wait) for a Clear Day" is out today on Bandcamp. Due to a hitch with DSPs it has been delayed slightly on some of them but it should be on all within in the next few days. 

PREORDER + STREAM VIA BANDCAMP

STREAM VIA TIDAL

About the song: Fusing jazz standards with minimalist composition and a love for his mom, Free to Dance’s effervescent centerpiece features Alan Hampton’s gorgeous vocals surrounded by spellbinding cycling pianos. This piece was partially inspired by vocalist Bernard Fowler’s work with neoclassical composer Philip Glass, and partially inspired by Johnson’s mother, who passed away before the album’s completion. “One of her favorite jazz songs was ‘On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever),’” he shares. “I wanted there to be a ‘Clear Day’ on this album, too.”

Deron's collaborative work with Pete Min here has led to a gorgeous LP that remains stunningly cohesive as it shifts comfortably from contemporary jazz to synth soundscapes to alt-R&B to world music from some undiscovered world. Freedom is at the core of Free To Dance, and you can hear an openness in the shitfs even within songs, how the vocal melody of "I Don't Have to Wait For a Clear Day" plunges into an explosive Mark Turner solo, or the electronic elements mostly fall away in the second half of "Can A Song Save Your Life" leaving a muted piano, upright bass, and vocal to swirl around one another beautifully. 

I also want to put in a special note not to miss the title track, which is just gorgeous trio work from Deron, Turner, and bassist Alan Hampton. Knocks me over every time. 

Hit me up with any requests/queries by replying to this email or writing to gabe@clandestinepr.com

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Gabriel Birnbaum  - Head of Publicity
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“You might not know their name, but you’ve heard their music” is an enduring cliche among writers. For acclaimed, LA-based jazz keyboardist Deron Johnson, it’s a song that rings true.

At age 22 in the late 1980s, after three years at California State University, the young musician joined rising pop diva Paula Abdul on a cross-country tour in support of her debut album. That led to a series of collaborations ranging from Damien Rice to David Sanborn, not to mention Johnson’s memorable stint with Canadian alt-rock star Alanis Morisette. Yet perhaps his most notable credit is playing keys on Miles Davis’s final 1992 studio album, Doo-Bop.

“Miles really was the Prince of Darkness, man,” says Johnson. “I remember watching him in the booth while he gave directions. I love being in the studio with a cat like John Keltner who can do absolutely anything, but watching Miles was something different. You couldn’t play what he played because it was just too perfect—lathered with so much vibe and all of the right notes. That’s what it was for me. I was dumbfounded.”

Those brushes with some of music’s greatest talents laid the groundwork for Johnson’s new album, Free to Dance. Recorded with producer Pete Min (Feist, The Strokes, Orville Peck) at his LA studio homebase, Lucy’s Meat Market, the collection of spellbinding, largely instrumental pieces came together in 10 improvised sessions. “I would walk in and Pete would ask me ‘what do you want to jump on?’” laughs Johnson, who deftly danced across unusual instruments such as the Persian santur, gamelan strips, and Tom Thumb piano. “Songs were birthed, then we would chop them up a little bit and move pieces around. After that, we started thinking about our G.O.A.T.s that we wanted to have on the record.”

For Johnson, the current greatest of all time is tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, whose moody, breathy tone-floats curlicue three songs on Free to Dance. “I think Mark is the best sax player alive today, and I’ve played with some amazing ones,” raves Johnson. “I’m still not over it.” Other guests include hard-hitting drummers Mark Giuliana and Jonathan Pinson, flugelhorn player C.J. Camieri, and in-demand saxophonist Sam Gendel—who Johnson discovered via Pino Palladino and Blake Mills’ 2021 album, Notes With Attachments. 

“Free to Dance was turning into an African-sounding thing until it took a turn with the Gendel piece,” says Johnson. “Figuring out how he bangs up against the music is the main thing for him. Sam isn’t thinking about certain notes; it’s all in his body.”

Self-described as a “vessel,” Johnson continually seeks out fellow players who feel music flowing through them like water. On “Call Me Back,” that’s channeled through the tinny, gravelly voice of an answering machine from the Prince of Darkness himself. The effervescent centerpiece, “I Don’t Have To Wait For A Clear Day,” features Alan Hampton’s gorgeous vocals surrounded by spellbinding cycling pianos. This piece was partially inspired by vocalist Bernard Fowler’s work with neoclassical composer Philip Glass, and partially inspired by Johnson’s late mother.

“Alan only sang two lines,” Johnson explains. “It’s mainly an instrumental piece, so I just wanted a splash of something. That song is a nod to my mom who was really sick when I was making this record, and passed away near the end of it. One of her favorite jazz songs was ‘On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever).’ I wanted there to be a ‘Clear Day’ on this album, too.”

- Jesse Locke

ABOUT COLORFIELD RECORDS

Colorfield Records is a new label based out of Pete Min's Lucy's Meat Market Studio in LA. Colorfield artists are encouraged to compose in the studio, often playing instruments that they're not accustomed to and relying as heavily on sound as on musicianship and composition. The process is designed to emphasize getting outside of comfort zones in order to increase spontaneity and exploration.