Sojourn by Russ Brannon

Paris Move:
The music is filled with joy, some pieces designed for wide open spaces. Without a doubt, Russ Brannon is a great composer who leaves nothing to chance. Influenced from the beginning by Chet Atkins, The Ventures, and Howard Roberts, and later by Larry Carlton, George Benson, and Robben Ford, Brannon’s music is imbued with the sensibilities of these musical giants without ever sounding artificial or derivative. This album also marks Russ Brannon’s 60-year career, which deserves to be included in our series of essentials, both for this album and for his long and beautiful career.
- Thierry De Clemensat

Jazz Journal(UK):
As the title Sojourn would suggest, the album is reflective and builds upon a series of short stays or visits and is the culmination of decades of playing and travelling. The album was recorded during a period of upheaval in Brannon’s life, after he was diagnosed with throat cancer. Thankfully, he remains cancer-free today.
The album is instrumental, with Brannon believing that “instrumental music can kickstart a listener’s imagination, reaching places that words cannot”. Unlike most smooth jazz music (which can often be quite formulaic in both harmony and repetition), Brannon’s melody is not always predictable, throwing in some surprising cadence or a bittersweet dissonance. As such it becomes a bit more cinematic and contemplative in the same way that Pat Metheny’s music can often be.
This is a beautiful and fascinating musical statement by Brannon, who is superbly supported by some of Atlantic Canada’s finest musicians. Highly recommended.
- Ian Lomax

Downbeat:
Brannon has a pretty sound and excellent technique, qualities that have clearly helped him carve out a career over six decades, playing shows, clubs and festivals with a variety of groups in Canada.
The album is filled with light funk grooves, a few introspective ballads, smooth excursions, thoughtful guitar playing, an occasional waltz and “feel-good” music. Brannon and Pupo keep their solos melodic and tasteful.
- Scott Yanow

Midwest Book Review:
Sojourn is an album of original compositions by Russ Brannon, a Canadian guitarist with a talent for improvisation. With contributions from a wealth of talented music artists on vocals, tenor saxophone, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion, and strings, Sojourn is an extraordinary album featuring richly crafted songs that describe a lifelong journey, from traveling the world to raising a family. Thoughtful, beautiful, and joyful, Sojourn is a treasure for connoisseurs of fine listening and public library music collections, highly recommended.

Sojourn “a stay in a place for a time” is a collection of both recent pieces, and some I composed over a number of years, and are representative of my best unrecorded works. Working with producer Michael Wojewoda and some of my favorite players, each piece was arranged to take the listener on an engaging journey. We designed each track to unfold like the pages of a great novel.
I’ve always valued a diversity of style, texture, and emotion in my compositions. This collection leans heavily into that idea, delivering a wide range of emotion that I believe will touch those who feel like I do; that life is a series of moments where we “stay in a place for a time”.