Alphonso Johnson - Spellbound

The record is a great showcase for Johnson’s bass playing, playing the 10-string ‘Chapman Stick’ , alternating between soloing on “Nomads”, lead bass on “Face Blaster”, and supporting duties.

The pensive “Moonlight Conversations” is a gem, while the six-part “Earth-tales Suite” shows the artist’s ambitions, as it ranges from almost classical impressions. Actually, the whole album works as a suite, especially since the last track reprises the first one. Alphonso Johnson, as you can see from the album cover of 1977’s ‘Spellbound’, very much embraced ‘The Stick’, which you can hear prominently featured in the composition, “Bahama Mama”.