LA saxophonist, composer, and producer Josh Johnson has been on a prolific, inspired run for over a decade. He plays in the incredible ensembles SML and Jeff Parker ETA IVtet, and in trios with Gregory Uhlmann and Sam Wilkes and with Nate Mercereau and Carlos Niño. He produced acclaimed albums by Flea and Meshell Ndegeocello, served as Leon Bridges’ musical director, and collaborated with a wide range of pop and indie artists, including Harry Styles, Bright Eyes, and Hand Habits. Johnson pops up everywhere, doing a bit of everything. ‘Animative,’ out this Friday via International Anthem, is his third solo LP. Bassist Ndegeocello, violinist Macie Stewart, and drummer Ben Lumsdaine are among the performers, and the album subtly showcases Johnson’s versatility while ensuring his distinctive personality persists through the pivots, from the funky, Headhunters-esque “High Step” to the gorgeous, droning shapelessness of closing track “Upstairs 2021.” Johnson plays almost everything on ‘Animative’ — saxophone, synthesizer, sampler, piano, Rhodes, percussion, bass clarinet, guitar, and drum synthesizer — merging electronic and acoustic sounds in revelatory yet unshowy ways. There’s a lot going on under the hood, but the tricky synthesis never overshadows the compositional prowess at the heart of the collection. Check out our Album Of The Week review, and a list of everything else coming this Friday. 👉 stereogum.com/2515021/album-… [📝: @chrisdeville, 📷: @atibaphoto]