''Right Now!'' is an album by multi-instrumentalist Howard Johnson and his band Gravity, with guest vocalist

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...

appearing on three tracks. Johnson's third release as a leader, it was recorded during December 1996 at

Manhattan Center Studios The Manhattan Center is a building in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Built in 1906 and located at 311 West 34th Street, it houses Manhattan Center Studios, the location of two recording studios; its Grand Ballroom; and the Hammerstein Ballro ...

in New York City, and was issued in 1997 by

Verve Records Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, ...

. On the album, Johnson is joined by tubists

Dave Bargeron David W. Bargeron (born September 6, 1942) is an American trombonist and tuba player who was a member of the jazz-rock group Blood, Sweat & Tears. Career Bargeron was lead trombonist with Clark Terry's Big Band and played bass trombone and tub ...

, Joseph Daley,

Nedra Johnson Nedra Johnson (born July 27, 1966) is an American rhythm and blues and jazz singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She has performed internationally at jazz, blues, pride and women's music festivals as a solo artist, a tuba player, and voc ...

, Carl Kleinsteuber, Earl McIntyre, and Bob Stewart, pianist

Ray Chew Ray Chew is an American musician who specializes in keyboards and contemporary and orchestral arranging. He is the music director of ABC's Dancing with the Stars (2014–present). Chew was music director for Fox's American Idol from 2010 to 20 ...

, double bassist

James Cammack James Alfred Conrad Cammack Jr. (born April 15, 1956) is an American jazz bassist from Cornwall, New York. Career For nearly thirty years, he played bass for Ahmad Jamal. His debut solo album, ''Both Sides of the Coin'', was released in 2012. Be ...

, and drummer

Kenwood Dennard Kenwood Marshall Dennard (born March 1, 1956, New York City) is an American jazz drummer. Dennard learned piano as a child and took up drumming at nine years of age. He attended the Manhattan School of Music from 1972 to 1973 and Berklee College o ...

Reception

In a review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, Richard S. Ginell called the album "elegant fun," and wrote: "The idea of a tuba sextet might seem a bit too daffy a defiance of the laws of gravity, but Hojo's ensemble... comes up with some surprisingly mellifluous textures... The tuba harmonies oddly often bear a pleasing kinship with those of

Steve Turre Stephen Johnson Turre (born September 12, 1948, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American jazz trombonist and a pioneer of using Conch (instrument), seashells as instruments, a composer, arranger, and educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. For ...

's massed conch shells, and the shadow of

Gil Evans Ian Ernest Gilmore Evans (né Green; May 13, 1912 – March 20, 1988) was a Canadian–American jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest orchestrators in jazz, playing an important role ...

is everywhere." The authors of ''

The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled by ...

'' awarded the album a full four stars, and stated: "Opening with

Charles Tolliver Charles Tolliver (born 1942) is an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and co-founder of Strata East Records. Biography Tolliver was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1942 and moved with his family to New York City when he was 10. During his chi ...

's 'Right Now' was a master-stroke. What follows is equally enterprising.... The arrangements are tighter and more adventurous than ever; the other brassmen in the band are exceptional players and idiosyncratic enough not to sound homogenized; Suzi Reynolds's production work is first rate." Bob Blumenthal of ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

'' described the album as "a spirited, wide-ranging program that proves that even the lowest instrumental voices can soar." He commented: "Johnson is deservedly the star. He arranged all the music, spreading the voicings in a manner that best takes advantage of the range and dexterity of his partners, and he roars through his several tuba solos." Writing for ''

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

'', Jim Santella noted that the band provides "a pleasant harmony" as well as "varied excitement and expression," and remarked: "The enthusiasm, soulful expression, and a professional approach to the tuba's role, combine to make Gravity's session welcome for those who appreciate mainstream jazz. Highly recommended."

Track listing

# "Right Now" (

) – 9:19 # "It's Getting Harder to Survive" (

Ronnie Barron Ronnie Barron (born Ronald Raymond Barrosse, October 9, 1943, in Algiers, New Orleans – March 20, 1997) was an American actor, keyboardist, organist, and blue-eyed soul singer during the 1970s. He was known for his work as a session musicia ...

) – 9:25 # "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" (

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

) – 3:37 # "Frame for the Blues" (

Slide Hampton Locksley Wellington Hampton (April 21, 1932 – November 18, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tuba and flugelho ...

) – 5:50 # "

Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin' "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'" is a song written by Joe Greene and released in 1946 by Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five. Jordan's version reached No. 3 in ''Billboards chart of " Most-Played Juke Box Race Records". The song was recorded ...

" (

Joe Greene Charles Edward Greene (born September 24, 1946), better known as "Mean" Joe Greene, is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1969 to 1 ...

) – 5:58 # "Ma-ma" (

Caiphus Semenya Caiphus Semenya (born 19 August 1939) is a South African composer and musician. He was born in Alexandra, Gauteng, Johannesburg, South Africa. He left South Africa for Los Angeles, California, United States, in the 1960s, together with his wife ...

) – 7:35 # "Svengali's Summer / Waltz" (

) – 10:27 # "

Fever Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a body temperature, temperature above the human body temperature, normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, set point. There is not a single ...

" (

Little Willie John William Edward "Little Willie" John (November 15, 1937 – May 26, 1968) was an American R&B singer who performed in the 1950s and early 1960s. He is best known for his successes on the record charts, with songs such as " All Around the World" (1 ...

) – 2:47 # "O Raggedy Man" (Howard Johnson) – 5:59

Personnel

* Howard Johnson – tuba, baritone saxophone, penny whistle, vocals *

– vocals (tracks 2, 5, 8) *

– tuba * Joseph Daley – tuba *

– tuba * Carl Kleinsteuber – tuba * Earl McIntyre – tuba * Bob Stewart – tuba *

– piano, synthesizer *

– double bass *

– drums

References

{{Reflist 1997 albums Howard Johnson (jazz musician) albums Verve Records albums