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Lee Johnson Noteworthy contributors include flutist Rhonda Larson, singer J.P. Dreadfulwater and the Cherokee Choir and the London Session Orchestra. The final result is an album which is more like a symphony with a native theme than a native album with lavish arrangements. Johnson's talents have many facets. He has composed two symphonies, three musicals, a ballet, two concertos and what he calls a "popera" for film. He is an award-winner for his film scores (including First Prize in the New York International Independent Film Festival), and a multimedia artist in addition to playing numerous instruments, arranging and producing. Johnson was named 1995 Georgia Artist of the Year, and was nominated for an Emmy for his score for "Second Symphony: Colors of a Soul." A longtime Intersound associate, Johnson recently assisted on production for The Taliesin Orchestra's Anthem and Orinoco Flow, the top-selling indie Classical Crossover album of 1997, and still a Top 25 album after more than a year.
Review by Dan Liss Dan Liss is the editor of the popular new age news journal,"A Sign of the Times, AQUARIUS" based in Atlanta, Georgia information: |
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Trail
of Tears is a tribute to that terrible episode in American
history where the Cherokee were forced off their land and
forced to walk to Oklahoma. Along the way, a great many
died, creating a tragedy that forever left a scar on the
history of both sides. Although it tells a sad story,
Johnson has composed a work which yields melodies on an epic
scale, much ike the tragic legends of the Celts has yielded
a wealth of musical treasures. Spirited and multi-layered as
a performance, the work as a whole is extremely well
produced and provocative listening.