Molly Johnson Swing Classic Standards On Lucky
Miss Johnson's Lucky Revisits Jazz And Pop's Great Songbook.
Mar 8, 2009
‘Lucky’ Molly Johnson’s fourth album, the second for Universal Music Canada, hit the stores on November 4th 2008.
Following on the heels of her very successful debut CD ‘Messing Around’ on Universal, ‘Lucky’ had a lot of expectations to fulfill and it did. It took a slightly different direction from Messing Around - that album took on a more contemporary spin, with a lot of new songs with a pop jazz feel. On ‘Lucky’ she took on jazz standards and a few Pop hits injected them with the same happy feeling of ‘Messing Around’ and came out swingin’.
Redoing The American Songbook
On Lucky she kicks things of with an old chestnut, ‘Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets’. This songs has been around forever, been redone many time, but Molly makes it hers’ with a beautiful new arrangement. She starts things off with a slow melodic piano riff before her percussionist rips into a calypso tinged groove then she purrs her way through the tune.
She tackles a few songs from the Ellington Strayhorn songbook - I Got It Bad, Lush Life and Solitude with verve and Billie Holiday influenced tenacity. Her re-working of the Gershwin’s ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’ brings the beauty and comic sensibility of the song to the fore.
If I were a Bell, made quite famous by Miles Davis, he recorded this one a lot, is another highlight of Lucky. She takes the listener on a happy jaunty ride through the song; a person could almost believe she was the bell. ‘Mean To Me’, she makes the song so personal, that you may want to hurt the villain who was mean to her, but it is her cover of the classic folk country hit by Bobbie Gentry, ‘Ode To Billie Joe’ that has tongues wagging.
Purist hates that she has changed the mode of the song, it is after all a song about suicide - she makes it just too happy for them with her up tempo swinging groove. Her tone is too upbeat and brightens the dark side of the song. Taken on it’s own without the history. Ode To Billie Joe is a beautiful song and does fit right in with Lucky’s overall theme.
The Club and Concert Hall Days
Molly Johnson is a veteran of the Canadian Music scene. She began her career as a child performer in musical theatre.
She has performed in many clubs and concerts halls in Canada and various venues around the world. In the 80’s and 90’s she was the lead vocalists for two rock bands Alto Moda and Infidels, she also worked with the group Big Sugar.
She made her debut as a solo artist in 2000 with a self titled Album on the Marquis label. In 2003 she released her follow up album ‘Another Day’ on the same label. They were both well received at home and in France where she is superstar. Another day was also released in the US on the Narada Jazz label.
In 2006 Molly made history at the Downtown Jazz festival when she became the first Canadian female vocalist to sell out a show on the mainstage. She followed up that success by releasing Messin’ Around later that year to her adoring fans.
The year 2007 was also a happy one; she had successful tours around the world and was made an Officer of the Order Of Canada. In 2008 she again made history by selling out her show at the historic Massey Hall here in Toronto.
No wonder she is feeling lucky these days. She’s earned it.
Lucky the album is in stores now.
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