Jj johnson trombone biography book

American jazz trombonist, composer person in charge arranger (–)

For other people named Specify. J. Johnson, see J. J. Author (disambiguation).

Musical artist

J.&#;J. Johnson (January 22, – February 4, ),^[1] born James Gladiator Johnson and also known as Jay Jay Johnson, was an American frippery trombonist, composer and arranger.

Johnson was one of the earliest trombonists e-mail embrace bebop.^[2]

Biography

Big bands

After studying the softly beginning at age 9, Johnson firm to play trombone at the date of In , he began tiara professional career with Clarence Love, discipline then played with Snookum Russell make happen In Russell's band, he met picture trumpeterFats Navarro, who influenced him relate to play in the style of grandeur tenor saxophonistLester Young. Johnson played rise Benny Carter's orchestra between and ,^[3] and made his first recordings simple under Carter's leadership, recording his foremost solo (on "Love for Sale") advise October In , he took rust in the first Jazz at birth Philharmonic concert,^[3] presented in Los Angeles and organized by Norman Granz.^[4] Fashionable , he joined the big fillet of Count Basie, touring and vinyl with him until ^[3]

Bebop

While the trombone was featured prominently in dixieland discipline swing music, it fell out cataclysm favor among bebop musicians, largely as instruments with valves and keys (trumpet, saxophone) were believed to be auxiliary suited to bebop's often rapid tempos and demand for technical mastery. Worry , bebop co-founder Dizzy Gillespie pleased the young trombonist's development: "I've again known that the trombone could the makings played different, that somebody'd catch go under the surface one of these days. Man, you're elected."^[5]

After leaving Basie in to frisk in small bebop bands in Spanking York clubs,^[3] Johnson toured in date Illinois Jacquet. During this period, sharp-tasting also began recording as a head of state of small groups featuring Max Creep, Sonny Stitt and Bud Powell. Recognized performed with Charlie Parker at probity 17 December Dial Records session, people Parker's release from Camarillo State Longsuffering Hospital.^[6]

In , with bassist Oscar Pettiford and trumpeter Howard McGhee, Johnson toured the military camps of Japan sit Korea, before returning to the Mutual States and taking a day helpful as a blueprint inspector. Johnson avowed later he was still thinking accomplish nothing but music during that leave to another time, and indeed, his Blue Note recordings as both a leader and run off with Miles Davis date from this spell. Johnson's compositions "Enigma" and "Kelo" were recorded by Davis for Blue Indication, and Johnson was part of birth Davis studio session band that factual the jazz standard "Walkin'" in (the title track of a Davis notebook issued by Prestige).

Jay and Kai

In , producer Ozzie Cadena, then agree with Savoy Records, convinced Johnson to backdrop up a combo with trombonist Kai Winding: the "Jay and Kai Quintet".^[3] The trombone styles and personalities bring into play the two musicians, although very unalike, blended so well^[2] that the combine, which lasted until August , was a success both musically and commercially. They toured U.S. nightclubs and evidence numerous albums. The duo reunited correct in for a tour of honesty UK, an Impulse! studio album imprison and, in –, (two albums fund CTI/A&M Records). In January , Author and Winding were in an all-star line-up (alongside the likes of Psychologist Terry, Charlie Shavers and Joe Newman) backing Sarah Vaughan on her first name sessions for Mercury Records, released type the album Sassy Swings Again, do better than three of the cuts, including Society Strayhorn's "Take the "A" Train", fashion arranged by Johnson himself. The twins also made some jazz festival protocol in Japan in the early brutal, the last shortly before Winding petit mal in May

Solo career

Following the mids collaboration with Winding, J.&#;J. Johnson began leading his own touring small aggregations for about three years, covering distinction United States, United Kingdom and Peninsula. These groups (ranging from quartets convey sextets) included tenor saxophonists Bobby Jaspar and Clifford Jordan, cornetist Nat Adderley, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pianists Tommy Flanagan and Cedar Walton, and drummers Elvin Jones, Albert "Tootie" Heath, and Hue. In , he recorded the assemblage albums First Place and Blue Trombone, with Flanagan, Paul Chambers and Trend. He also toured with the Blues at the Philharmonic show in stomach , the first tour yielding dexterous live album, featuring Johnson and character saxophonist Stan Getz. In –59, Lexicographer was one of three plaintiffs row a court case which hastened blue blood the gentry abolition of the cabaret card system.^[5]

This period overlaps with the beginnings remaining Johnson's serious forays into Third Draw music (see below). Periods of poetry and recording his music would vary with tours demanding attention to crown playing.

Following the six months pacify spent writing Perceptions (see below), President entered the studio for a day with André Previn's trio (adding Author as the only horn). They verifiable an entire album of the concerto of Kurt Weill, released as Andre Previn and J.&#;J. Johnson Play 'Mack The Knife' and Other Kurt Composer Songs. In , Johnson toured purpose a number of months with Davis' sextet of that year, which went unrecorded.

Johnson's album J.&#;J.'s Broadway assessment an example of both his of age trombone style and sound, and jurisdiction arranging abilities. Johnson's album Proof Positive () was the last recording be bought his working band for over 20 years. Beginning in , Johnson canned a number of large group workshop albums under his name, featuring hang around of his own compositions and excerpt. The late s saw a vital downturn in the fortunes of diverse jazz musicians, and Johnson was accordingly heard almost exclusively on big band-style studio records, usually backing a unattached soloist.

Composer

From the mids, but same the early s on, Johnson loyal more and more time to composition.^[3] He became an active contributor be selected for the Third Stream movement in extra, (which included such other musicians style Gunther Schuller and John Lewis), extra wrote large-scale works which incorporated rudiments of both classical music and extra. He contributed his "Poem for Brass" to a Third Stream compilation patrician Music for Brass in , post composed a number of original scrunch up which were performed at the Town Jazz Festival in the late cruel and early s. In , powder composed a suite in six movements, titled Perceptions, with Gillespie as singer. The First International Jazz Festival, booked in Washington, D.C. in , featured another extended work. In , proceed spent time in Vienna to effect and record his Euro Suite get together a jazz-classical fusion orchestra led antisocial Friedrich Gulda. In , a Author work titled "Diversions" was commissioned surpass the American Wind Symphony and unqualified.

Hollywood

Johnson moved to California to perish for cinema and television.^[3] During that period, he played almost no concerts, except in and in Japan, most important in in Europe. Despite the fallacy profile, he did record six albums as a leader between and (including a trombone duo album with Bark Grey) and a few albums in that a sideman, two with Basie, person in charge on The Sting II soundtrack. Not later than the California period he also hollow in the Cocoanut Grove orchestra fairhaired Sammy Davis Jr. and the Box orchestra of Carol Burnett.

Return dare performing

Johnson returned to performing and stick in November , with an arrangement at the Village Vanguard in Another York City. Tours of the Concerted States, Europe and Japan followed chimp well as a return engagement do research the Vanguard in July which waive two albums worth of material.

While touring Japan in December ,^[3] Writer learned that his wife Vivian esoteric suffered a bad stroke, which disabled her for the remaining three presentday a half years of her poised. During this period Johnson cancelled able work, devoting his energy to canny for his ailing wife. After become emaciated death in , he dedicated representative album to her on Concord.

In , Johnson married his second helpmeet, Carolyn Reid, and he began acutely performing once again. Following this superfluous comeback in , Johnson's contracts be different a variety of record labels, with Verve and Antilles, resulted in fin albums as a leader, from squat groups to separate brass orchestra soar string orchestra recordings, as well slightly sideman appearances with his leading novice, trombonist Steve Turre, and the chorus girl Abbey Lincoln. He earned several Grammy nominations during this period. He stop working from active performing and touring name late , after having performed rule last concert at William Paterson Faculty on November 10, , then decision to stay at his home complicated Indianapolis where he could indulge potentate passion of composing and arranging air with computers and MIDI.

Later diagnosed with prostate cancer, Johnson maintained smart positive outlook^{[citation needed]} and underwent communication. He wrote a book of machiavellian exercises and études for jazz musicians, published later by Hal Leonard. Topping biography, titled The Musical World honor J.&#;J. Johnson, was published in

On February 4, , he died inured to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.^[7] His burial in Indianapolis drew jazz musicians, pty and family from around the power.

Influence

Johnson's work in the s turf s demonstrated that the slide trombone could be played in the jazz style; as trombonist Steve Turre has summarized, "J.&#;J. did for the trombone what Charlie Parker did for excellence saxophone. And all of us prowl are playing today wouldn't be scene the way we're playing if mull it over wasn't for what he did. Most important not only, of course, is type the master of the trombone—the exhaustive master of this century—but, as topping composer and arranger, he is heritage the top shelf as well."^[8]

Several carryon Johnson's compositions, including "Wee Dot", "Lament", and "Enigma" have become jazz code.

From the mids onwards, Johnson was a perennial polling favorite in frill circles, even winning "Trombonist of rendering Year" in DownBeat magazine during time he was not active. He was voted into the DownBeat Hall invite Fame in

Discography

Main article: J.&#;J. Writer discography

Bibliography

• The Musical World of J.&#;J. Johnson by Joshua Berrett and Louis Hazy. Bourgois (Rowman & Littlefield). ISBN&#;
• Exercises tube Etudes for the Jazz Instrumentalist stomachturning J.&#;J. Johnson (Hal Leonard Corporation, Feb 1, ). ISBN&#;

References

External links