Matt Johnson doesn’t just play the piano; he paints with it. A veteran of the keys whose journey began in the 1980s, sparked by the handwritten encouragement of the legendary George Winston. Johnson has spent decades refining a sound that is as eclectic as it is evocative. With over 80 recordings to his name and a global audience that hangs on every note, he has become a master of the “musical postcard,” capturing fleeting emotions and freezing them in melody. His latest offering, released on January 22nd, is a breathtaking reimagining of “For Good,” aptly subtitled “For Singing Fingers.” Whether you are a die-hard Wicked devotee or simply a seeker of beautiful sounds, this track is a revelation. Johnson strips away the artifice of the stage to find the raw, beating heart of the composition. For the uninitiated, it serves as a gentle invitation into a magical, velvet-lined world where every chord feels like a shared secret. It is a poignant reminder of how music, much like the people who cross our paths, changes us for the better.

The song begins with a melody that, while both bold and glacial, has the ability to seize the room, to require your absolute presence. If you’re unfamiliar with the artist, then it’s a powerful introduction, as the music does not simply begin, but rather arrives, unfolding with a sharp, shimmering clarity that immediately draws the listener into its frozen, beautiful depths.

To fully appreciate the gravity of this situation, one must step into the emerald-tinted shadows of its origin. Wicked is a retelling of the Oz saga, long before the yellow brick road was ever paved, and it is a tale of the unlikely, life-changing friendship between Glinda and Elphaba. This is not a tale of ‘good’ and ‘wicked,’ but of two women who found themselves in each other. “For Good” is their final, tear-stained hug, as they go their separate ways to fulfill the destinies history has set for them to play. The music builds as they both understand that they will never see each other again. It is a joint coming-out experience for both women, as Elphaba finds the backbone of her own strength through Glinda, and Glinda finds the extent of empathy through this woman who has been labeled a monster by society. Johnson’s “singing fingers” play out this basic human truth: we are all comprised of all those people who had the guts to love us, and because we knew them, we have been changed for good.

There is a certain vulnerability in taking a piece as emotionally charged as “For Good”, one of the pillars of contemporary musical theatre, and stripping it back to the unvarnished truth of a lone instrument. And yet, in this piano rendition of Stephen Schwartz’s masterpiece, Matt Johnson does more than simply play the piece; he takes it apart and reveals the glittering, beating heart that lies at its center. While the original piece in the context of Wicked relies upon a tapestry of subtle strings and fairytale woodwinds to support the duetting voices of Glinda and Elphaba, Johnson’s “singing fingers” instead provide this lone, resonant dialogue in place of the safety net provided by the orchestra. He works with the inherent tender nature of the melody, allowing the quiet reflection and give-and-take of the lyrics to emerge through the wood and wire of the piano. It is a change that takes this grand theatre goodbye and makes it into a quiet, sacred confession, proving that the most significant transformations are often found in the quietest spaces.

Johnson knows, in his solo performance, that the tone is the narrator, and he crafts his tale with exquisite care. The performance is alive with a breathing, pulse-like energy, surging and receding in waves that follow the natural progression of the song’s emotion. As the music reaches its peak, it explodes with a natural grandeur, never succumbing to bombast. In the lower moments, the music is hushed, drawing the listener in as if confiding a secret. The result is that the rich, aching depth of this composition is vividly displayed, showing that even in its most stripped-down state, the heart of this music beats stronger than ever.

But perhaps the most compelling is the way he handles the rhythm. Johnson has the confidence to let the music breathe. He leans into the phrases with a lingering tenderness or nudges them forward with a soft and steady resolve. The “rubato” here—those slight stretches and pullings of the rhythm—are what make this performance feel so human. None of it feels mechanical or over-rehearsed. Instead, it’s irrefutably organic. The music is as if it’s being discovered in the very moment it’s being played. A fan of Wicked myself, I must admit that I have been disappointed many times by covers that fail to grasp the weight of the original. But this cover is stunning. Matt has put his own soul into every measure of it. I think even the original cast would have been as touched as I was by this tribute. It is a remarkable achievement of both arrangement and empathy. I must say that I look forward to seeing where his “singing fingers” take us next.

Stream “For Good (For Singing Fingers)” on Spotify

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