I'm Just Sayin' is Johnson's second album as a leader for the Victoria Records label, and features a lineup of musicians who likely will be familiar to many St. Louis jazz fans. Most of those players will be on hand for the concert at the Sheldon, including pianist Carolbeth True, trumpeter Jim Manley, trombonist/keyboardist Jim Owens, bassists Glen Smith and Marc Torlina, drummers David True and Joe Weber, guitarist Randy Bahr, percussionist Scott Collier, singer Christi Jon Bye, and the Rosewood String Quartet.
With arrangements by Johnson, Owens, Smith, Carolbeth True, and Mark Maher, the album (pictured) includes two of the saxophonist's original compositions - the title track and "Blues for CJ" - amid a mix of material from other writers.
The influential pianists McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock are represented as composers by "Passion Dance" and "Stitched Up," respectively, along with versions of well-known standards including Dizzy Gillespie's "Tin Tin Deo," Miles Davis' "All Blues," the ballads "I Want to Talk About You" and "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes," and the jam session perennial "Cherokee."
Johnson rounds out the set with three covers of contemporary rock/pop tunes: The Police's "Roxanne", Sara Bareilles' "Many The Miles," and Jack Johnson's "Staple It Together."
General admission for Larry Johnson's CD release concert at the Sheldon will be $10 for adults, $7 for children, cash or check only at the door. Copies of I'm Just Sayin' will be on sale at the concert for $15, and available online via CD Baby starting in mid-January.
