Bass Desires

When the first licks of “Samurai Hee-Haw” prick up your ears, you know a colorful ride awaits. The opening track of Marc Johnson’s Bass Desires signals the arrival of a band with something to say. Featuring not one but two singular guitarists (Bill Frisell and John Scofield), along with drummer Peter Erskine, the album proceeds to cover a vast swath of musical influences, from John Coltrane (“Resolution”) and Appalachian folk song “Black Is The Color Of My True Love’s Hair” to Elmer Bernstein (“A Wishing Doll”) and Johnson himself (“Mojo Highway”). Scofield’s “Thanks Again” rolls the end credits.