By ANDY ELLIS
Published: October, 2000

Some folks criticized Fingertip Ship for being too technical," admits Richard Leo Johnson about his 1999 solo guitar debut. "I have a tendency to agree, but to be heard, you have to grab people's attention." Artistic merits aside, Fingertip Ship immediately established the soft-spoken Johnson as a fingerstyle innovator-an aggressive, percussive picker with fast hands and a penchant for unconventional tunings. With his second release, Language [Blue Note], Johnson hopes to recast his image.
"I want people to hear music, not calisthenics," he says. "So for this record, I asked other players to add their colors to my tunes. I've been strictly a solo player for years, so this was a new experience."
Working closely with producer Brian Bacchus and engineer Jay Newland, Johnson captured his energetic performances on 24-track analog tape during two days of intense sessions. Then guest artists-including Warren Haynes on acoustic slide; Paul McCandless on oboe, soprano sax, and English horn; and accordionist Andy Reinhardt-were invited to respond sonically to Johnson's instrumentals.
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