.com Arkansas native Richard Leo Johnson has drawn comparisons with the late Michael Hedges and John McLaughlin but the essence of Johnson s far-reaching guitar sound is grounded in mountain bluegrass and folk music as well as jazz and left-of-center classical with a nagging nod to New Age. Johnson s second Blue Note offering finds the 12-string virtuoso in a collaboration of sorts--he cut the initial tracks solo then sent tapes to various musicians including Oregon s Paul McCandless drummer Matt Wilson and the ex-Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes. The musicians returned their taped contributions and the assembled sounds create a band again of sorts. There is an occasional sense of clutter amplified by Johnson s spectacular technique a blitzkrieg of bluegrass string hammers soaring bell-like harmonics funky chordal slides pretty fingerpicking and scalding fret-devouring melodic runs. The opening Hip Hop Zep is a blast of everything that makes Johnson so unique from riveting full-guitar body slaps to lush picking. Event Horizon recalls Pat Metheny s high-plains soaring (with lots of surreal hammering effects) while New West Helena Blues is a dead ringer for a supercharged Leo Kottke. Two of the best tracks Sketches of Miles and Freestone Peach are with Warren Haynes. Unlike the New Agey tracks with Paul McCandless Haynes s authentic blues slides and ringing sustained single notes make Johnson sound more grounded and give his songs greater substance. But with humorous jigs ( Chuck Soup ) Indian-tinged standards ( Cheek to Cheek ) and father-daughter duets ( Daddydaughterduo ) Johnson is obviously not at a loss for material. Language is a full-course meal. --Ken Micallef Review Guitarist Richard Leo Johnson once proclaimed A guitar is something to be screwed with. The Arkansas native s 1998 debut the solo-guitar Fingertip Ship upheld that ethos perfectly capturing this homegrown talent - no lessons no nuthin - as he coaxed pristine textures from his 12-string with an assortment of oddball tunings and a truly formidable technique.Language further cements his role as the current voice on 12-string guitar continuing a lineage that includes Ralph Towner and Leo Kottke. Comparisons to those past masters are warranted - especially considering the appearance here of Oregon vets Paul McCandless and Glen Moore. While songs like Sweet Jane Thyme which feature McCandless s all-too-recognizable oboe hew precariously close to Towner territory Johnson s singular voice - the combination of fervent string hammer-ons open-string harmonics and arpeggiated cascading chords - rescues these songs from imitating Oregon completely. But indeed Language flows with a similarly searching spirit while incorporating dynamic shifts that recall Pat Metheny s As Falls Wichita album. Even John McLaughlin and Shakti are evoked in Johnson s welcome tendency to capture sub-Asian grooves with his rhythmic sensibility.If pairing R.L.J. s occasionally overt melodicism and open chords in tandem with percussionist Cyro Baptista - who provides some New Agey wind chimes and neo-tropical effects - yields something akin to smooth the guitarist opens creative floodgates with introspective solo guitarfests ( West Helena Blues ) that capture the probing spirit of his debut. Ultimately it s Johnson s unique orchestral approach to guitar that make him and his music special.--- Mike Bieber JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright �� 2000 Milor Entertainment Inc. -- From Jazziz