The new book The Devil's Horn: The Story of the Saxophone, from Noisy Novelty to King of Cool" by Michael Segell ends with a nice vignette about saxophone-playing prison evangelist Vernard Johnson, which prompted me to buy his CD "I'm Alive." The disk, a keeper, features Johnson, who makes me think of George Coleman, Eddie Harris, or maybe Clarence Clemons, with the kind of high-energy gospel singers, choirs and bands that could even get me to church. (There's some great organ music, too.)
Johnson's bluesy, jazzy blowing ranges from rousing, as on "Oh Happy Day" to spiritual, "I Love to Praise His Name." You may find yourself clapping your hands on "Call Him on My Horn" and Johnson and organist Chester McCree Jr. do for "God Bless America" what Jimi Hendrix did for "The Star Spangled Banner," which is to say make cool music of it.
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