Mark Johnson had an excellent previous album on his own Bangtown label several years ago, featuring what he calls "clawgrass": clawhammer banjo in a Bluegrass setting. This new and equally successful album features more of the same, with Emory Lester nicely providing the other instruments (guitar, mandolin, bass). Johnson has a lovely touch, and utilizes a fine choice of notes in achieving a suprisingly subtle and thoroughly musical treatment on a variety of well-chosen tunes. His picking on MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA, FORKED DEER, CHEROKEE SHUFFLE, JERUSALEM RIDGE and SOLDIER'S JOY is strikingly different, yet the tunes are fully recognizable as he plays off the melody but never loses it or obscures it with flashy picking. In short, there is outstanding technique here, but the prime thrust is the music, and this is a wonderfully musical experience. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. FOGGY DEW, MOSBY'S RANGERS, RED MUD, MOTHER BANJO, etc.
