Vinny Golia, Max Johnson, Weasel Walter - No Refunds
Downtown Music Gallery - This entire disc is Free Music at its best, tightly executed and superbly recorded and balanced just right. A long lost gem! - Bruce Gallanter
Squidco - “an absolutely impressive example of free playing intent and well-balanced conversation.”
Max Johnson - Hermit Music
Free Jazz Blog - “The five tracks have a strong level of unpredictability, of deep feelings with often unclear structures. The advantage of this, is that the listener has to be more active, without any chance of anticipation, pushing you to follow every note in its naked expression.” - Stef Gijssels
CitizenJazz - “Ce solo, au-delà de son histoire particulière, est une importante pièce d’un puzzle.” - Franpi Barriaux
Downtown Music Gallery - “Johnson’s bass sounds large, clean, warm and intense. Mr. Johnson is on fire from the gitgo, pumping hard, hitting those strings intensely. Instead of showing off his chops, Mr. Johnson often sounds like he is playing part of a song with certain melodic fragments amongst his stretched out notes which are plucked, bowed or banged on.” - Bruce Gallanter
Shanley on Music - “It continues with a drive and focus, stopping to pluck all four strings midway through, sounding more composed than spontaneous. Of course, Johnson had a lot of time to consider what to pull out of his instrument so he's making up for lost time.” - Mike Shanley
PopMatters - “To hear Johnson tell it, these five compositions are improvisation in their purest form. The engineer just hit the record button, and Johnson attacked the bass. Considering that there are only two conventional ways to summon a note from upright bass, pizzicato or bow, Johnson can create a wide variety of strange noises from his instrument.” - John Garratt
Max Johnson Trio - Orbit of Sound
The Whole Note - “But all in all the harmonic balance expressed among writing, narratives and singular expression make this one orbit of sound in which a listener would want to circle.” - Ken Waxman
Citizen Jazz - “Max Johnson est un nom à rapidement garder en tête. Il y a fort à parier que de chaque côté de l’Atlantique, ce musicien n’a pas fini de faire parler de lui.” - Franpi Barriaux
Salt Peanuts - “You can sense the immediate and deep affinity that this trio has developed… The trio enjoys its tight and well-balanced interplay but is always ready to take risks.” - Eyal Hareuveni
PopMatters - “That both of these recordings are worth your while for starkly different reasons is a boon to listeners paralyzed with the current array of choices currently available on Spotify. Call it a bassist’s Best of Both Worlds.” - John Garratt
Downtown Music Gallery - “This is a most formidable trio and another of Max Johnson’s recent treasures.” - Bruce Gallanter
Shanley On Music - “The album title feels appropriate because the group comes up with new ways of utilizing the sax/bass/drums format, with the focal point of the music orbiting around the different players.” - Mike Shanley