J.J. Johnson discography [1946-2017]

J.J. Johnson, original name James Louis Johnson, (born Jan. 22, 1924, Indianapolis, Ind., U.S.—died Feb. 4, 2001, Indianapolis), American jazz composer and one of the genre’s most influential trombonists.

Johnson received early training as a pianist, and at age 14 he began to study the trombone. He became a professional musician in 1941 and during the decade worked in the orchestras of Benny Carter and Count Basie. He became widely recognized as a dexterous soloist (to the extent that many listeners believed he was playing a valve, rather than slide, trombone) who had assimilated the techniques of the bebop movement of the 1940s. He was in great demand among jazz musicians and performed with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis, among others. After a temporary retirement (1952–54), he returned to tour with fellow trombonist Kai Winding; their duets have been recognized as watersheds in the evolution of jazz trombone technique.

In the late 1950s and the 1960s, Johnson composed steadily, including the large-scale works El Camino Real (1959), Sketch for Trombone and Orchestra (1959), and Perceptions (1961). He also worked as a composer and arranger for commercials, films (including Shaft, 1971, with Isaac Hayes; Across 110th Street, 1972; and Cleopatra Jones, 1973), and television (including Barefoot in the Park, 1970–71, The Mod Squad, 1970–73, and Starsky and Hutch, 1975).

In 1977 Johnson undertook a tour of Japan, and he eventually returned to performing full-time, and at full technical capacity, until he retired in 1997. 

Woody Shaw - The Complete Columbia Albums Collection (6 CD, 2011/FLAC)

The Complete Columbia Albums Collection combines all five of jazz trumpeter Woody Shaw's albums on Columbia, including 1977's Rosewood, 1978's Stepping Stones: Live at the Village Vanguard, 1978's Woody III, 1980's For Sure!, and 1981's United. Also featured is a sixth disc of never before released bonus tracks from the live Stepping Stones sessions. These albums represent the height of Shaw's creative output of the late '70s and early '80s, during a time in which he combined modal jazz, post-bop, fusion, and avant-garde improvisation into his own uniquely propulsive, melodic, and harmonically advanced style. Of all the albums, Rosewood is perhaps best known, as it earned Shaw a Grammy nomination and was voted Best Jazz Album of 1978 in the Down Beat Readers Poll. Not only do these albums showcase the technically proficient and improvisationally gifted Shaw in his prime, they also feature such sidemen as saxophonists Joe Henderson, Carter Jefferson, and Gary Bartz; pianists Onaje Allan Gumbs, Larry Willis, and Mulgrew Miller; drummers Victor Lewis and Tony Reedus; bassists Clint Houston and Buster Williams; and -- as on United -- the then young trombonist Steve Turre. These are not only must-hear albums for Shaw fans, but also required listening for any fans of forward-thinking post-bop.

 

CD1 - Rosewood (1977) {40:56}

CD2 - Stepping Stones: Live at the Village Vanguard (1978) {70:34}

CD3 - Stepping Stones: Bonus Tracks (1978) {70:07}

CD4 - Woody III (1979) {36:01}

CD5 - For Sure! (1980) {49:12}

CD6 - United (1981) {40:41}

 

John Kirby - Chronogical Classics 1938-1946 (4 CD/FLAC)

 John Kirby (December 31, 1908 – June 14, 1952), was an American jazz double-bassist, who also played trombone and tuba. In addition to sideman work (prominently with Benny Goodman), Kirby is remembered for leading a successful chamber jazz sextet in the late 1930s and early 1940s, which scored several hit songs including "Loch Lomond" and the debut recording of "Undecided", a jazz standard. 

 

Dizzy Reece - Mosaic Select 11 (3 CD, 2004/FLAC)

By the early 1950's, Jamaican-born Dizzy Reece, who is not only an outstanding bop trumpeter, but a fine composer, was playing with top-of-the-line British and European jazzers. Starting in '58, Mr Reece cut a series of four excellent albums for Blue Note. They are all included on the three discs in the "Mosaic Select: Dizzy Reece" box set. 

 

Oscar Peterson - Ballads, Blues & Bossa Nova (3 CD, 2008/FLAC)

One of the great piano masters of all time, Oscar Peterson scores on this wonderful collection of three discs.

Original recordings 1968-1971-Digitally remastered.

 

Cyrus Chestnut discography [1992-2015]

 An adept jazz pianist, Cyrus Chestnut balances his lithe technical skill with a robust, soulful style that speaks to his deep gospel roots and love of swinging hard bop. Having grown up playing in the church, Chestnut learned early on how to infuse his swinging, classically trained style with a warm gospel sound. It was a style he perfected in the late '80s and early '90s as a sideman, backing legendary vocalists Jon Hendricks and Betty Carter, as well as with instrumentalists like Donald Harrison and Wynton Marsalis. As a leader of his own groups, he has collaborated with well-respected rhythm section players including Christian McBride, Carl Allen, Clarence Penn, Ron Carter, Lewis Nash, and others. Often working in a trio, as on 2016's Natural Essence with Buster Williams and Lenny White, or with guest artists as on 2001's Soul Food, he displays his virtuosic skill and mastery of the jazz tradition.

VA - The Famous Sound of Three Blind Mice Vol. 1-3 (1987-1989/FLAC)

Three Blind Mice is a Japanese jazz record label founded in June 1970 as a showcase for Japan's emerging jazz performers. It has produced more than 130 albums have been released since. So far they have won the Jazz Disc Award five times in Japan. Produced by Takeshi Fujii (producer) and often recorded by the Yoshihiko Kannari, TBM created jazz records by Japanese players since the 1970s and became known for its audiophile sound quality. TBM's records captured a very important, vibrant era in the development of Japanese jazz. Stars like Isao Suzuki, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, George Kawaguchi, Terumasa Hino and Mari Nakamoto recorded their very first albums with the label. Artists also include Shuko Mizuno's "Jazz Orchestra '73", Toshiyuko Miyama and Masaru Imada.  

 

Blue Note Works 4000-4100 series [4086-4100]

 

...The Modern Jazz Series continued into the 1970s with the LPs listed below. Many were issued in both monaural versions (BLP series) and stereo versions (BST 84000 series).  Most of the 4000 series have been reissued by Toshiba-EMI in Japan ("Blue Note Works 4000" series); the catalog numbers are TOCJ-4###



BN.4086- Grant Green- 1961- Grantstand {RVG Remaster}
BN.4087- Leo Parker- 1961- Let Me Tell You 'Bout It
BN.4088- The Three Sounds- 1960- Here We Come
BN.4089- Jackie McLean- 1961- A Fickle Sonance {RVG Remaster}
BN.4090- Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers- 1961- Mosaic {RVG Remaster}
BN.4091- Sonny Clark- 1961- Leapin' and Lopin' {RVG Remaster}
BN.4092- Kenny Clarke & Francy Boland- 1961- The Golden 8
BN.4093- Ike Quebec- 1961- Heavy Soul {RVG Remaster}
BN.4094- Fred Jackson- 1962- Hootin' 'N Tootin' {RVG Remaster}
BN.4095- Leo Parker- 1961- Rollin' with Leo {RVG Remaster}
BN.4096- Stanley Turrentine- 1962- That's Where It's At {RVG Remaster}
BN.4097- Art Blakey- 1962- The African Beat
BN.4098- Ike Quebec- 1961- Blue and Sentimental {RVG Remaster}
BN.4099- Grant Green- 1961- Sunday Morning {RVG Remaster}
BN.4100- Jimmy Smith- 1962- Plays Fats Waller {RVG Remaster}

Earl 'Fatha' Hines — That's A Plenty (Quadromania 4 CD, 2005/FLAC)

 

This four-disc retrospective covers Hines' career from the early solo recordings from 1928 through the 30's; through the Chicago days with his Grand Terrace orchestra (the Midwest's answer to Ellington and the Eastern establishment); and up into the bands of the `40s. Hines said that he couldn't afford to hire stars--he had to make them--and the personnel of these GT bands show that Hines' band did, indeed, create stars.

 

Al Cohn, Joe Newman & Freddie Green - Mosaic Select 27 (3 CD, 2007/FLAC)

 

This Mosaic compilation draws from material that comprised five separate RCA Victor LPs of the 1950: Al Cohn's The Natural Seven and The Jazz Workshop: Four Brass, One Tenor - Al Cohn, Freddie Green's Mr. Rhythm, plus two Joe Newman records, All I Wanna Do is Swing and I'm Still Swinging. 

Cohn, Green and Newman are the common element to all of the recording sessions, leading bands ranging from septets to nonets.The Natural Seven was inspired by the Kansas City Seven drawn from the Count Basie band of the 1930s and while the arrangements by Cohn and Manny Albam swing lightly in the style of Basie's septet, the focus is more on originals written for the session rather than simply recreating earlier recordings. Joining them are pianist Nat Pierce, trombonist Frank Rehak, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Osie Johnson, highlighted by the upbeat unison horn line in Cohn's "Pick a Dilly" and Albam's swinging "Jump the Blues Away." Johnson even adds a vocal on his fun-filled "Osie's Blues." ohn's other session as a leader includes Thad Jones with either Joe Wilder, Bernie Glow or Phil Sunkel on third trumpet, with Dick Katz doubling on valve trombone and trumpet, pianist Dick Katz and bassist Buddy Jones subbing for the previous personnel. Once more, Cohn and Albam split up the arrangements, with the tenor saxophonist benefiting from the quartet of brass players accompanying him. "Rosetta and the leader's "Cohn Not Cohen" are among the highlights. 

Freddie Green was known for his superb timekeeping in the Basie band, a tenure which lasted a half-century until his passing in 1987, just a few years after the leader. Mr. Rhythm marked the first issued under his own name, plus eight of the dozen songs are Green's compositions, with Green sticking to playing rhythm throughout the date. Cohn, Albam and Ernie Wilkins provide the swinging arrangements of the mostly blues-oriented material, while Cohn doubles on both clarinet and bass clarinet in addition to playing tenor sax. Two dates led by Newman in 1955 also fit in nicely, with either Frank Rhak or Urbie Green on trombone, Wilkins or Gene Quill on alto sax, and Pierce or Dick Katz on piano. Newman, who tended to be overshadowed by many of the other swing and bop trumpeters active at the time, shines on both open and muted horn, while featuring his musicians prominently throughout both dates. Green's "Corner Pocket" and a buoyant treatment of the standard "Exactly Like You" especially stand out. Most of this music was reissued on CD during the 1980s and 1990s, though none of it remained in print for long.