Jerry Johansson Quartet
All five tracks ("House of Hope I"—"House of Hope V") have wonderful, heady and at times hypnotic effects when the magical combination of electric guitar, vibraphone, bass and drums really solidifies and the musicians stretch out. At times, the music this quartet makes approaches the heady era of rock fusion and distant echoes of Larry Coryell, Gabor Szabo are welcome when they appear.
While House Of Hope channels the sounds of the West Coast and its heroes, this undoubtedly is a contemporary piece for jazz quartet, led by an extremely talented and versatile musician.
James Pearse - All About Jazz
The music has a hypnotic effect. When the quartet stretches out, it sometimes leaves jazz behind and enters some of the motifs of 70s rock-fusion… extended solos that rise and fall with a psychedelic grace. It's nothing that will get confused with Mahavishnu Orchestra, nor even with the organic World Jazz trip-vibe of Oregon, but there's traces of it present. At times, the hypnotic thrall runs closer to a modern drone piece, a la Chris Schlarb or Pollen Trio, which just amps up the dreamy strength of this release.
The album ends with an extended jam, a riff on the art of falling down flights of spiral stairs. Twisting lines of melody, choppy rhythms that get the head bopping, and a rising tension all combine to bring the album to a rousing conclusion.
Dave Sumner - Bird is the Worm
Kompet är stabilt och sammanlänkande, vilket ger både stadga och tyngd samt ger fokus och skärpa för både Johansson och Johnsons lösa och vindlande utflykter.
På House of hope presenteras både tidlös med samtidigt daterad musik på ett sätt som gör att man vill kolla upp källorna, en slags progressiv nostalgi som inte är att förakta.
Ulf Thelander - Orkester Journalen
Om man placerar en bar från femtiotalets Manhattan i den svenska urskogen hamnar man i Jerry Johansson Quartet. Det är lyhört och tillbakalutat när Johanssons gitarr möter vibrafon, kontrabas och trummor.
Ola Claesson - Smålandsposten
Different and varied themes wanders around in the dark and shadowy rooms in the very heart of chamber jazz.
After having explored Indian-Swedish themes and mental states with his sitar together with a chamber ensemble from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in the works (and records): "Sitar and String Quartet No. 1 and 2", "Next Door Conversation" and "Book of Dreams"; Jerry once again took some steps closer to his other musical love, jazz music, and released his jazz album "Circles and Changes" for jazz octet, followed by the release of "House of Hope".
Jerry Johansson allows himself to travel deeper and deeper into the magical sounds of the electric guitar (in close conversation with his much loved Gibson 1955, jazz model). But, dear friends; this is not enough! Jerry now also plays a Coral Electric Sitar; an electric sitar of legendary status, which can be heard as a musical "spice" in many magical songs through the ages, from the sixties to now. But for the first time in history, Jerry really PLAYS the Coral as no one has ever done before!
The music and sounds of Jerry is constantly expanding and overtly psychedelic in the very same instant.
The compositions of Jerry Johansson for his jazz quartet are closely knitted together in a sort of trance-like pulsating flow. Deeply rooted in the expanded raga-trance-orientaded compositions and improvisations, in where names such as Gabor Szabo, Jerry Hahn, Harry Taussig and Pat Martino has travelled before.
Jerry Johansson takes these roots and enrichen them with his very own presence, knowledge and identity. It makes no secret that Jerry Johansson is not only a magician on the guitar; he is also an equally acknowledged master of the sitar; with many years of studies to become an expert not only on the instrument sitar; but also in the Indian way of thinking and philosophy of life in general. This knowledge makes itself present throughout all of Jerry´s different works.
Just as in the dreamy sleep, different themes moves freely around their own orbits in the very centre of concentration. Entwining together, phasing, changing shape, echoing further on. The personal imprint runs like a wonderfully glowing dream-thread throughout; and since Jerry Johansson is a master of the guitar, it also offers an enchanted journey.
And just as in the dream, the feeling of time and space dissolves in this magical journey.
The presence is total, and the wholly and fully assembled borderlines between composition and improvisation remains hidden secrets within this work.
The underlying constructions are complex nerve system of the seemingly illusoric simplicity. The borders are diffused and erased; all borders, in where the concentrated freedom of NOW appears.
The three other co-musicians in the Jerry Johansson Quartet qualifies an extended book of praise on their own. They all have a totally pure and intuitive understanding of Jerry´s Music, which allows them to flow like rainbow-coloured bubbles in the wind beneath a red glowing sun.
It is a rare thing to find four musicians and four instruments so closely connected in the trance-like flow of concentrated playing, but Mark Johnson, Anders Winald and Jörgen Svensson succeeds in every sense.
A rare thing indeed!
Electricity, one guitar, ten fingers, six strings and three co-musicians is all that it takes to create this unique experience! The complex. but at the same time, also totally open compositions of Jerry Johansson changes lives. What was before is no more.
Only a master can weave together these worlds of sound and image.
Jerry Johansson Quartet is the name of the band!
Jerry Johansson: electric guitar, Coral electric sitar
Mark Johnson: vibraphone
Jörgen Svensson: bass
Anders Winald: drums