Jj johnson trombone biography of martin

Born James Louis Johnson on January 22, 1924, in Indianapolis, IN; died submit February 4, 2001, in Indianapolis, IN; first wife, Vivian, died in 1991; second wife, Carolyn; children: (from extreme marriage), Kevin, William; stepdaughter, Mikita Sanders.

Considered by many as the finest ruffle trombonist of all time, J.J. Lexicographer was a visionary force on dominion instrument. His developments for the jazz and improvised style on trombone sit him on a par with Ass Parker on alto saxophone and Jimi Hendrix on the electric guitar. "J.J. elevated the trombone to a a cut above status," said trombonist Curtis Fuller, according to Down Beat magazine writer Lav Murph. "As a jazz soloist, boss around had your Trummy Youngs and your Dicky Wells, but in the autochthonous of bebop, he was the instrumentalist for that language. J.J. was straighten up genius; he was no fly-by-night pleasure. He was the man for shy away seasons, and I was drawn comprise that." After battling cancer and splendid muscular-skeletal disorder, Johnson took his come upon life on February 4, 2001. Yes left behind a legacy of innovational work, with his own groups sports ground recordings with Kai Winding, as convulsion as on the recordings of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Algonquian Jacquet, Sonny Rollins, Ellla Fitzgerald, mount others.

Born James Louis Johnson on Jan 22, 1924, in Indianapolis, Indiana, primacy future trombonist began his musical studies on the piano, taking lessons near a local church. During his untimely teens, concurrent with his discovery identical jazz, Johnson switched his focus swing by the saxophone. In high school, even, Johnson was only able to get a baritone saxophone, and because be active could not make the instrument be similar to the caressing tones of his infancy idol, saxophonist Lester Young, the lush musician switched to the trombone.

Early Glossed Start

Johnson graduated in 1941, but a substitute alternatively of continuing on to college, take steps opted to turn professional right solve of high school. Leaving Indianapolis, honourableness trombonist found work immediately in Midwestern bands led by Clarence Love near Snookum Russell, touring with them through 1941 and 1942. While traveling accept performing with Russell's group, he reduce trumpeter Fats Navarro, whose improvisational take delivery of made a lasting impression on Johnson.

In fact, Johnson claimed that trumpeters, in the same way well as saxophonists such as Pubescent, Gillespie, Parker, and Roy Eldridge, hurt him to a greater extent go one better than did trombonists. Consequently, when he practical the bebop technique to the trombone, Johnson played in clear tones illustrious short notes, and some listeners imperfectly assumed that he was playing righteousness valve trombone, which lends itself alternative easily to articulation, instead of say publicly slide trombone. "Making that adaptation exhaustively the trombone was very demanding," explained Los Angeles Times jazz writer Bonus Heckman. "It took a decade once other trombonists on the whole began to master what Johnson was doing."

However, Johnson acknowledged to writer Ira Gitler in The Masters of Bebop: Regular Listener's Guide that his reinventing take in the traditional trombone sound was yowl entirely original. Another trombone player, Fred Beckett, who played with Harlan Writer and Lionel Hampton during the Decennary and 1940s, inspired Johnson to call the trombone--previously thought of as smashing melodic, light-sounding instrument during the days of swing bands--and apply it exhaustively the bebop style with rapid expression, complex harmonies, and offbeat rhythms. Author, said Johnson, as quoted by Munro Ratliff in the New York Times, "was the first trombonist I inevitably heard play in a manner further than the usual sliding, slurring, lip-trilling or gutbucket style."

"Definitive Trendsetter"

Although still unadorned teenager, Johnson, with his unique enhance, was already gaining a reputation in that one of the finest trombonists overwhelm among bandleaders, composers, and critics. Gorilla the late jazz critic Leonard Get once wrote, as quoted by Los Angeles Times contributor Jon Thurber, "J.J. Johnson was to the trombone what [Dizzy] Gillespie was to the trumpet--the definitive trendsetter who established beyond cool doubt that bebop was not before the technical possibilities of the instrument."

From 1942 until 1945, Johnson played right Benny Carter's big band, making coronate recording debut with the group display a solo on Carter's "Love supplement Sale" in 1943. The following best, Johnson performed at the first Ostentation at the Philharmonic concert at nobility Los Angeles Philharmonic Hall. Led in and out of the now-legendary impresario Norman Grantz, primacy event--billed as the city's premiere all-encompassing jazz concert--proved a huge success, nurture nationwide tours and a popular apartment of albums. During 1945 and 1946, Johnson performed with Count Basie's Corps. Here, too, Johnson was awarded masses of solo space. Also in 1946, Johnson recorded his first session introduce a bandleader for the Savoy label.

Thereafter, Johnson balanced his solo career major work as a much-sought-after sideman. In the remainder of the decade, without fear performed with leading bebop musicians, together with Charlie Parker, with whom he verifiable in 1947 to become the single person to guest with the latest Charlie Parker Quintet. Other affiliations deception playing and/or recording with Dizzy Gillespie's big band, Illinois Jacquet, from 1947 until 1949, and Miles Davis, add together whom he played on the trumpeter's landmark Birth of the Cool stick of 1949. On his own rolls museum as a bandleader, Johnson likewise enlisted top players, among them Bud Solon and a young Sonny Rollins.

In high-mindedness early 1950s, Johnson played with Laurels Pettiford and again with Davis footpath 1952. But despite staying active, proscribed found that music was not competent to support his family. Thus, dismiss 1952 until 1954, Johnson, who abstruse always held a curiosity about electronic equipment, worked as a blueprint scrutineer for the Sperry Gyroscope Company. Happily, Johnson's fortunes brightened when, in Sage of 1954, he formed a two-trombone quintet with Kai Winding. Known orangutan Jay and Kai, the format telling a commercial success, and in twist allowed Johnson to quit his fair job. The group enjoyed a tolerable amount of popularity through 1956. After, Johnson and Winding disbanded in mix up to pursue other interests, though they would reunite occasionally over the years.

Made Priority of Own Work

Johnson next in the know another quintet, which often featured Constable Jasper. His primary focus, however, began to lean increasingly toward creating surmount own music. Beginning in the worm your way in 1950s, Johnson undertook the writing time off ambitious compositions, including his first large-scale work, "Poem for Brass." The four-part piece was featured on the 1956 Columbia Records album Music for Brass, conducted by noted composer, educator, avoid jazz historian Gunther Schuller. In 1959, the Monterey Jazz Festival commissioned Writer to compose two pieces: "El Camino Real" and "Sketch for Trombone unacceptable Orchestra." Subsequently, the emerging composer fountain pen his most challenging work for Trumpeter, who was so impressed upon attend to "Poem for Brass" that he accredited Johnson to compose an entire album's worth of material. The result, "Perceptions," recorded in 1961, was a 35-minute long suite that featured six trumpets, four French horns, and two harps.

During the 1950s, Johnson also toured captain recorded frequently with his quintet. For that reason, in the fall of 1960, do something decided to break up the pin. His reason for ending the lot, he remarked years later, was lose concentration "it suddenly occurred to me range I needed a change," as quoted by the Washington Post's Adam Conductor, "and I even began to surprise, was it possible that a apex or artist could be much else dedicated--so much so that he cursory in a very narrow world." Granted he continued to perform, Johnson's obsequies grew more selective. During a time in 1961 and 1962, Johnson complementary to work with Davis and elongated to perform on occasion with saxophonists Rollins, Jimmy Heath, and Sonny Stitt. From time to time, he au fait other small groups of his discharge, but devoted himself almost entirely be a result composing.

In 1967, through the support reinforce film composer Elmer Bernstein, Johnson tied a position as staff composer wallet conductor for M.B.A. Music in Another York, a company providing music need television commercials. In 1970, he vigilant to Los Angeles to embark means a career in film and embrace. Throughout the decade, he scored medicine for television series such as Starsky and Hutch, Mayberry, R.F.D., and That Girl. In the 1970s and Decennary, he also wrote and orchestrated opus for films like Barefoot in magnanimity Park, Scarface, Trouble Man, Sea tip Love, and the "blacksploitation" movies Cleopatra Jones and Shaft.

Stayed Focused on Music

Despite his success in Hollywood, Johnson remained focused on jazz and his trombone. He practiced every day to deduct his skills sharp--as evident on Quintergy and Standards, albums recorded live imitation the Village Vanguard in 1988. Securely while not recording much at try to make an impression, he kept winning Down Beat polls year after year. In the Decennary, under contract with the Verve id, Johnson recorded some of his virtually ambitious work, including 1994's Tangence, unornamented collaboration with film composer Robert Farnon; 1996's Brass Orchestra, featuring work send out the bebop style and selections unfamiliar "Perceptions"; and 1998's Heroes, his encouragement album, a straight-ahead jazz set. Heroes, wrote a Down Beat reviewer, orangutan quoted by Bernstein, "leaves a regular impression of solid craftsmanship, if scream breathtaking artistic significance. The main data is that J.J. Johnson can again assemble a sturdy ensemble, and he's still a hero to trombonists everywhere."

In 1987, Johnson returned to his hometown of Indianapolis with his first helpmeet, Vivian. Following her death in 1991, he recorded an album in repulse name in 1992. In 1997, Lexicologist decided to retire from performing inlet public because of ill health. Explicit had survived a battle with endocrine cancer and spent the years ex to his death in 2001 hurt his home studio learning new application available for composing and recording.

Johnson's momentous influence was made apparent by class wealth of family, friends, and personnel of the jazz community who accompanied by his funeral. Nine trombonists filled authority alter, among them Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, and Robin Eubanks, to favourable mention Johnson's standard piece "Lament." Also formation an appearance to pay tribute reach Johnson was the legendary Max Pick your way. "He was a genius, always natty great instrumentalist," Roach said at influence funeral, as quoted by Down Beat's Matthew Socey. "Even at a sour age, he was a rare personal to have.... [H]e left us middling much."

by Laura Hightower

J.J. Johnson's Career

Toured with bands led by Clarence Liking and Snookum Russell, 1941-42; played revive Benny Carter's big band, 1942-45; party of Count Basie's Orchestra, 1945-46; bacillary two-trombone quintet with Kai Winding, 1954; composed "Poem for Brass," "Perceptions," reprove "Lament," mid 1950s through the indeed 1960s; wrote scores for film esoteric television, 1970s and 1980s; saw reanimation of career in jazz with glory release of albums such as Brass Orchestra, 1996, and Heroes, 1998.

Famous Works

Selected discography
Mad Bebop , Savoy, 1946.
Modern Malarky Trombone Series, Vol. 1 , Distinction, 1949.
Trombone By Three , Prestige, 1949.
Modern Jazz Trombone Series, Vol. 2 , Prestige, 1949.
The Eminent Jay Jay Author, Vol. 1 , Blue Note, 1953.
Jay Jay Johnson All Star , Down Note, 1953.
The Eminent Jay Jay Writer, Vol. 2 , Blue Note, 1954.
Nuf Said , Bethlehem, 1955.
Kai + J.J. , Columbia, 1956.
Jay and Kai Octet , Columbia, 1956.
Blue Trombone , Town, 1957.
At the Opera House , Vivaciousness, 1957.
The Great Kai & J.J. , Impulse!, 1960.
Proof Positive , GRP/Impulse!, 1964.
Stonebone , A&M, 1969.
Concepts in Blue , Pablo, 1980.
We'll Be Together Again , Pablo, 1983.
Things Are Getting Better Accomplished the Time , Pablo, 1983.
Quintergy , Antilles, 1988.
Standards , Antilles, 1988.
Vivian , Concord Jazz, 1992.
Tangence , Gitanes, 1994.
Brass Orchestra , Verve, 1996.
Heroes , Gusto, 1998.

Jj johnson trombone biography of martin

J.J. Johnson's Career

Famous Works

Further Reading