eric johnsen

After 10 years, three grants, 40 musicians, a trip to New York and a Swiss customs battle culminating in emergency heart surgery, Tucson composer Eric Johnsen released his debut jazz-fusion album “Liminality” last June.

Johnsen taught history at Tucson High Magnet School for 22 years, but holds a bachelor's degree in music composition and always had a deep love for music.

“I've been really fortunate now that I've had two passions in my life,” he said.

By 2013 or 2014, Johnsen felt he had grown comfortable with teaching and sought to return to music.

“I wanted to do something more,” Johnsen said. “And for me, it was like, ‘OK, do I go back to grad school, or do I actually make a CD’… But that's what I chose to do, and for me, making this album really was my dissertation.”

Recording began in 2018 at Sear Sound, a studio on West 48th Street in New York.

“I just felt that the East Coast might be a better place to do this,” Johnsen said.

Johnsen and Martin returned to Tucson and began to edit the recordings until the pandemic, which brought Johnsen an unexpected benefit &em; many internationally renowned musicians were now suddenly available, he just had to figure out how to record them remotely.

“(Musicians) were losing all their jobs, and their touring schedules were being canceled. And so because I had some connections to some really great musicians, they were actually available,” Johnsen said.

A year later, Johnsen and Martin planned a trip to Switzerland to record the strings section of the album, but were stopped at the airport in New York due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. After some negotiation with airport security, Johnsen and his co-producer traveled to Zurich, where they were stopped once again by customs, who would not let them in the country without a letter from the American embassy.

“We pleaded with them,” Johnsen said. “They weren't letting up.”

At one point, out of “sheer desperation,” Johnsen pulled out the 250-page score for the album to show to the customs officers.

“I said, ‘Look, this is what we’re here to do,’” he said.

The officers started turning the pages, impressed by its complexity, Johnsen said. They finally let the two in after Johnsen told them they were there on a business venture.

“You know, the Swiss are very business-oriented,” he said.

Days later in the hotel — they were the only ones there — Johnsen felt a pain in his chest. He called his co-producer and told him he felt something was wrong. Three hours later, he was having surgery for a heart attack.

“I was lying in the ICU going, ‘My God, what is this project really worth?’” Johnsen said. “I got back to Tucson and I decided I’ve come too far to let this thing die in the intensive care unit.”

Johnsen’s influences include musicians Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin and the jazz-fusion band Weather Report, known for incorporating electric elements, synthesizers and complex time signatures in their music. His music, Johnsen writes in the album notes, “floats in ethereal spaces; at other times it is rhythmically driving, anchored by American, Indian and Afro-Cuban influences.”

“Liminality” is a part of the Pima County Public Library’s Desert Streams project, which catalogs music from local artists online and is available to stream for free.

“People say (the music) is unique in terms of what Tucson offers, but that's a strength of Tucson to me. That's what makes Tucson diverse,” Johnsen said.

Since the album includes so many musicians recorded throughout multiple years in different locations, performing it is difficult, not to mention much of the music on the album is improvisation, but Johnsen hopes to one day have a performance.

“For me, whatever the local version of it was I'd be really happy with,” Johnsen said. “Even if it's not what the album necessarily completely is, because I believe in different versions of things.”

“Liminality” is available for purchase as a digital download or CD, and is streaming on Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal.