Magic Labyrinth

1995 studio album by Marc Johnson

Magic Labyrinth

Studio album by

Marc Johnson

Released

1995

Recorded

June 1994

Studio

Skyline Studios, NYC.

Genre

Post-bop jazz

Length

50:28

Label

JMT Productions

Producer

Stefan Winter

Marc Johnson chronology

Right Brain Patrol
(1992)

Magic Labyrinth
(1995)

If Trees Could Fly
(1999)

Magic Labyrinth is a studio album by jazz acoustic bassist Marc Johnson, and the second with his "Right Brain Patrol" trio featuring guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel and percussionist Arto Tuncboyaciyan. It was released by JMT Productions (JMT 514 018-2) in 1995.^[1]^[2]

Review

On this album Johnson show even more exquisite landscapes in improvisational music. Magic Labyrinth brings together individual compositions by the musician, one collaborative work between Johnson, Muthspiel and Tunçboyaciyan, and additional two delicate compositions by Miles Davis and Hermeto Pascoal. Downbeat praised the album for its "excursions to the more adventurous and angular regions of improvisational jazz".^[2]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	^[4]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz	^[5]
Tom Hull	B+^[6]

Reception

The Allmusic review by Rick Anderson awarded the album 4 stars.^[3]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Samurai Hee-Haw"	Johnson	7:34
2.	"J.P."	Tuncboyaciyan	8:31
3.	"Solar"	Miles Davis	3:17
4.	"A Paco"	Tuncboyaciyan	6:28
5.	"Forest Bower"	Johnson	2:56
6.	"Street Walk"	Tuncboyaciyan	3:57
7.	"Magic Labyrinth"	Muthspiel	5:31
8.	"Around That Time"	Muthspiel	5:25
9.	"Ne Um Talvez"	Hermeto Pascoal	6:55
Total length:			50:28

Personnel

Marc Johnson – upright bass
Wolfgang Muthspiel – electric and acoustic guitars, and guitar synthesizer
Arto Tunçboyaciyan – percussions and vocals

Credits

Marc Johnson – composer (tracks # 1, 5 & 7)
Arto Tuncboyaciyan – composer (tracks # 2, 6 & 7)
Wolfgang Muthspiel – composer (tracks # 4, 7 & 8)
Miles Davis – composer (track # 3)
Hermeto Pascoal – composer (track # 9)
Carlos Albrecht – engineer
Hiroshi Itsuno – executive producer
Stefan Winter – producer

Notes

Digitally recorded June 1994 at Skyline Studios, NYC, digitally mixed and mastered Nov. 1994 at Bauer Studios, Ludwigsburg^[7]

References

^ "Marc Johnson Biography". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "Marc Johnson Magic Labyrinth". Musical review. Birdland.com. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
^ ^a ^b Anderson, Rick. "Marc Johnson Magic Labyrinth". Musical review. AllMusic. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 789. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
^ Larkin, Colin (1999). The Virgin encyclopedia of jazz. Virgin. ISBN 9781852277543. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
^ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Marc Johnson". Tom Hull. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
^ "Marc Johnson's Right Brain Patrol – Magic Labyrinth". Discogs.com. Retrieved April 27, 2014.