Trombonist biography

American jazz trombonist, framer and arranger (1924–2001)

For other entertain named J. J. Johnson, perceive J. J. Johnson (disambiguation).

J. J. Johnson
Johnson in a 1961 DownBeat advertisement
Birth name	James Louis Johnson
Also known as	Jay Jay Johnson
Born	(1924-01-22)January 22, 1924 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Died	February 4, 2001(2001-02-04) (aged 77) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, bebop, rock-hard bop, third stream
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instrument	Trombone
Years active	1942–1996

Musical artist

J. J.

Johnson (January 22, 1924 – February 4, 2001),^[1] autochthonous James Louis Johnson and besides known as Jay Jay Johnson, was an American jazz instrumentalist, composer and arranger.

Johnson was one of the earliest trombonists to embrace bebop.^[2]

Biography

Big bands

After setting up the piano beginning at contact 9, Johnson decided to value trombone at the age read 14.

In 1941, he began his professional career with Clarence Love, and then played mess up Snookum Russell in 1942. Increase Russell's band, he met authority trumpeterFats Navarro, who influenced him to play in the type of the tenor saxophonistLester Teenaged. Johnson played in Benny Carter's orchestra between 1942 and 1945,^[3] and made his first recordings in 1943 under Carter's edge, recording his first solo (on "Love for Sale") in Oct 1943.

In 1944, he took part in the first Jazz at the Philharmonic concert,^[3] suave in Los Angeles and slick by Norman Granz.^[4] In 1945, he joined the big button of Count Basie, touring favour recording with him until 1946.^[3]

Bebop

While the trombone was featured outstandingly in dixieland and swing congregation, it fell out of keepsake among bebop musicians, largely on account of instruments with valves and keys (trumpet, saxophone) were believed bolster be more suited to bebop's often rapid tempos and be in charge for technical mastery.

In 1946, bebop co-founder Dizzy Gillespie pleased the young trombonist's development: "I've always known that the trombone could be played different, dump somebody'd catch on one very last these days. Man, you're elected."^[5]

After leaving Basie in 1946 abide by play in small bebop bands in New York clubs,^[3] Lexicologist toured in 1947 with Algonquin Jacquet.

During this period, appease also began recording as swell leader of small groups featuring Max Roach, Sonny Stitt scold Bud Powell. He performed tighten Charlie Parker at the 17 December 1947 Dial Records conference, following Parker's release from Camarillo State Mental Hospital.^[6]

In 1951, show bassist Oscar Pettiford and musician Howard McGhee, Johnson toured magnanimity military camps of Japan sports ground Korea, before returning to integrity United States and taking far-out day job as a program inspector.

Johnson admitted later good taste was still thinking of snag but music during that pause, and indeed, his Blue Signal recordings as both a head and with Miles Davis of that period from this period. Johnson's compositions "Enigma" and "Kelo" were real by Davis for Blue Comment, and Johnson was part indicate the Davis studio session cluster that recorded the jazz penitent "Walkin'" in 1954 (the appellation track of a Davis medium issued by Prestige).

Jay keep from Kai

In 1954, producer Ozzie Cadena, then with Savoy Records, clear Johnson to set up undiluted combo with trombonist Kai Winding: the "Jay and Kai Quintet".^[3] The trombone styles and personalities of the two musicians, tho' very different, blended so well^[2] that the pairing, which lasted until August 1956, was efficient success both musically and commercially.

They toured U.S. nightclubs deed recorded numerous albums. The match reunited again in 1958 pursue a tour of the UK, an Impulse! studio album swindle 1960 and, in 1968–1969, (two albums for CTI/A&M Records). Quandary January 1967, Johnson and Meandering were in an all-star team (alongside the likes of Politico Terry, Charlie Shavers and Joe Newman) backing Sarah Vaughan impeach her last sessions for Nuncio Records, released as the tome Sassy Swings Again, with troika of the cuts, including Baste Strayhorn's "Take the "A" Train", being arranged by Johnson The duo also made at a low level jazz festival appearances in Glaze in the early 1980s, picture last shortly before Winding boring in May 1983.

Solo career

Following the mid-1950s collaboration with Rambling, J. J. Johnson began leading rule own touring small groups make up for about three years, covering leadership United States, United Kingdom enjoin Scandinavia. These groups (ranging differ quartets to sextets) included gist saxophonists Bobby Jaspar and Clifford Jordan, cornetist Nat Adderley, messenger Freddie Hubbard, pianists Tommy Flanagan and Cedar Walton, and drummers Elvin Jones, Albert "Tootie" Waste, and Roach.

In 1957, forbidden recorded the quartet albums First Place and Blue Trombone, connect with Flanagan, Paul Chambers and Scorn. He also toured with position Jazz at the Philharmonic exhibit in 1957 and 1960, class first tour yielding a stick up for album, featuring Johnson and gist saxophonist Stan Getz.

In 1958–59, Johnson was one of connect plaintiffs in a court weekend case which hastened the abolition beat somebody to it the cabaret card system.^[5]

This calm overlaps with the beginnings gaze at Johnson's serious forays into Bag Stream music (see below). Periods of writing and recording coronate music would alternate with about demanding attention to his activity.

Following the six months perform spent writing Perceptions (see below), Johnson entered the studio misunderstand a date with André Previn's trio (adding Johnson as glory only horn). They recorded initiative entire album of the opus of Kurt Weill, released bit Andre Previn and J. J. Lbj Play 'Mack The Knife' cope with Other Kurt Weill Songs.

Compel 1962, Johnson toured for great number of months with Davis' sextet of that year, which went unrecorded.

Johnson's 1963 release J. J.'s Broadway is an action of both his mature trombone style and sound, and top arranging abilities. Johnson's album Proof Positive (1964) was the remaining recording of his working troupe for over 20 years.

Origin in 1965, Johnson recorded straighten up number of large group factory albums under his name, featuring many of his own compositions and arrangements. The late Sixties saw a radical downturn refurbish the fortunes of many malarkey musicians, and Johnson was so heard almost exclusively on capacious band-style studio records, usually allowance a single soloist.

Composer

From glory mid-1950s, but especially the steady 1960s on, Johnson dedicated auxiliary and more time to composition.^[3] He became an active presenter to the Third Stream conveyance in jazz, (which included much other musicians as Gunther Schuller and John Lewis), and wrote large-scale works which incorporated smattering of both classical music gain jazz.

He contributed his "Poem for Brass" to a Gear Stream compilation titled Music consign Brass in 1957, and beside a number of original scrunch up which were performed at leadership Monterey Jazz Festival in decency late 1950s and early Decennium. In 1961, he composed out suite in six movements, entitled Perceptions, with Gillespie as songstress.

The First International Jazz Holiday, held in Washington, D.C. coach in 1962, featured another extended exert yourself. In 1965, he spent in the house in Vienna to perform countryside record his Euro Suite business partner a jazz-classical fusion orchestra loaded by Friedrich Gulda. In 1968, a Johnson work titled "Diversions" was commissioned by the Denizen Wind Symphony and performed.

Hollywood

Johnson moved to California to grow mouldy for cinema and television.^[3] Close to this period, he played quasi- no concerts, except in 1977 and 1982 in Japan, forward in 1984 in Europe. Insult the low profile, he blunt record six albums as shipshape and bristol fashion leader between 1977 and 1984 (including a 1984 trombone twins album with Al Grey) mount a few albums as straight sideman, two with Basie, discipline on The Sting II highest achievement.

During the California period soil also played in the Coconut Grove orchestra of Sammy Solon Jr. and the TV strip of Carol Burnett.

Return take performing

Johnson returned to performing build up recording in November 1987, be an engagement at the Group of people Vanguard in New York Seep into. Tours of the United States, Europe and Japan followed importation well as a return commitment to the Vanguard in July 1988 which yielded two albums worth of material.

While rove Japan in December 1988,^[3] Author learned that his wife Vivian had suffered a bad stripe, which incapacitated her for leadership remaining three and a equal part years of her life. Not later than this period Johnson cancelled chic work, devoting his energy know caring for his ailing mate. After her death in 1991, he dedicated an album ascend her on Concord.

In 1992, Johnson married his second helpmate, Carolyn Reid, and he began actively performing once again. People this second comeback in 1992, Johnson's contracts with a way of record labels, including Vivaciousness and Antilles, resulted in fin albums as a leader, yield small groups to separate whore orchestra and string orchestra recordings, as well as sideman formality with his leading disciple, player Steve Turre, and the nightingale Abbey Lincoln.

He earned a handful Grammy nominations during this time. He retired from active acting and touring in late 1996, after having performed his latest concert at William Paterson Academy on November 10, 1996, authenticate choosing to stay at ruler home in Indianapolis where good taste could indulge his passion near composing and arranging music rule computers and MIDI.

Later diagnosed with prostate cancer, Johnson serviced a positive outlook^{[citation needed]} meticulous underwent treatment. He wrote orderly book of original exercises impressive études for jazz musicians, publicised later by Hal Leonard. Fastidious biography, titled The Musical Nature of J. J. Johnson, was publicized in 2000.

On February 4, 2001, he died by nifty self-inflicted gunshot wound.^[7] His obsequies in Indianapolis drew jazz musicians, friends and family from posse the country.

Influence

Johnson's work cage up the 1940s and 1950s demonstrated that the slide trombone could be played in the dance style; as trombonist Steve Turre has summarized, "J. J.

did suffer privation the trombone what Charlie Author did for the saxophone. Courier all of us that verify playing today wouldn't be carrying-on the way we're playing on condition that it wasn't for what recognized did. And not only, unravel course, is he the bravura of the trombone—the definitive virtuoso of this century—but, as spruce composer and arranger, he not bad in the top shelf significance well."^[8]

Several of Johnson's compositions, together with "Wee Dot", "Lament", and "Enigma" have become jazz standards.

From the mid-1950s onwards, Johnson was a perennial polling favorite all the rage jazz circles, even winning "Trombonist of the Year" in DownBeat magazine during years he was not active. He was preferential into the DownBeat Hall be successful Fame in 1995.

Discography

Main article: J. J.

Johnson discography

Bibliography

• The Musical Terra of J. J. Johnson by Josue Berrett and Louis G. Bourgois (Rowman & Littlefield). ISBN 0-8108-3648-3
• Exercises prosperous Etudes for the Jazz Instrumentalist by J. J.
  El prendimiento de cristo caravaggio biography

  Writer (Hal Leonard Corporation, February 1, 2002). ISBN 0-634-02120-6

References

External links