Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning The Katurran Odyssey

Thank you.

I received this CD, the newest by undoubtedly my favorite instrumental artists of all time, American keyboardist Jeff Johnson and Irish flutist Brian Dunning, nearly two months ago. I listened to it, I enjoyed it but, for some reason, I just couldn’t put myself into the proper mindset to appreciate it. I put it aside and didn’t write a single album review until this week.

A lot has happened since then. I’ve met people, I’ve befriended people, I’ve fallen in and out of what might have been love. However you want to slice it, whatever you want to call it, when you’re right in the midst of it, no matter how frivolous or profound it might be, when it’s over, it all hurts the same.

Last night, on a long drive, thinking, I popped in The Katurran Odyssey. It’s the story of Katook, a lemur on the island of Bo-Hibba on the world of Kattakuk, a mythical land where animals talk, where saying the very name of a place could bring it to life. Based on a bright and vibrant book now on sale, created and illustrated by Star Wars illustrator Terryl Whitlatch and written by David Michael Wieger, Johnson and Dunning forego the ominous and at times rather dark nature present on their last release Patrick, opting for something a little larger, a little magical, a little more fantastical.

The usual suspects have returned. Once again, Janet Chvatal’s elegant, ambient vocals intersperse throughout the album, John Fitzpatrick’s violins can cause pause and Jozef Luptak’s cello is just dauntingly beautiful. Not to forget, Johnson’s keyboards, as well as his own vocals (on “Silent As The Sun” and “The Beautiful Sky”, a reprise of the song of the same name from his last solo effort The Memory Tree) and Dunning’s effortless flutes, whistles and panpipes just move me to stunned silence.

I drove. I drove. I drove. I listened to the notes coming from the speakers. I listened to Chvatal’s haunting voice speak to me “Behind The Water Wall”, felt Luptak’s jarring cello pierce while “Shifting Sands...”, envied the vocal percussions while “Following Butterflies”, and was moved to sing along to Mr. Johnson as I drove and drove and drove “Silent As The Sun”.

Once I stopped driving and killed the ignition, I realized I hadn’t been able to appreciate The Katurran Odyssey in September, not because I wasn’t in the mood for it, but because it was just waiting for the moment when I really needed it the most.

Thank you.

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Release Date: August 24, 2004
Tracks: 11 - Time: 48:52
Produced by: Jeff Johnson
Format: CD
Website: www.katurranodyssey.com

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Jeff Johnson and Brian Dunning:

Jeff Johnson - Keyboards / Vocals
Brian Dunning - Flutes / Whistles / Pan Pipes
John Fitzpatrick - Violin
Jozef Lupták - Cello
Janet Chvatal - Vocals
Tim Ellis - Guitars & Balalaika
Phil Baker - Bass
Gregg Williams - Percussion
Barry McGovern - Voice of the Storyteller.