J. J. JOHNSON
Name: J.J. Johnson
Birth name: James Louis Johnson
Born: 22 January 1924 Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Died: 4 February 2001
J.J. Johnson (born James Louis Johnson) in Indianapolis, Indiana, (January 22,
1924 - February 4, 2001), was a United States jazz trombonist, composer and
arranger.
By his early twenties, Johnson developed a technique characterized by flawless
precision, and he was the first trombonist to rise to the challenge of bebop
music. He remained essentially unchallenged at the forefront of modern jazz
throughout his career. Johnson has long been regarded as the leading trombonist
of the Post-Swing Era, exerting a pervasive influence on other jazz musicians.
Johnson was commonly ranked among the first order of modern jazz musicians who
came to prominence during the 1940s. He was known primarily for playing in the
bebop style, but also worked extensively in other genres, notably in third
stream, which blended classical music and jazz. Johnson co-led a quintet with
trombonist Kai Winding which toured extensively and recorded several successful
albums. Johnson also recorded many solo albums, and was a sideman on many
classic jazz recordings. Several of his compositions, including "Wee Dot," "Lament,"
and "Enigma" are considered jazz standards.
In 1970 he ceased performing in public for most of 17 years, before a comeback
in the late 1980s. From the mid-1950s on, Johnson was a perennial polling
favorite in jazz circles, even winning "Trombonist of the Year" in Down Beat
magazine during years he wasn't active. Voted into Down Beat's Hall of Fame in
1995, J.J. Johnson's recording career spanned 54 years, from 1942 to 1996, when,
his health failing, he committed suicide.
Name: J.J. Johnson
Birth name: James Louis Johnson
Born: 22 January 1924 Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Died: 4 February 2001
J.J. Johnson (born James Louis Johnson) in Indianapolis, Indiana, (January 22,
1924 - February 4, 2001), was a United States jazz trombonist, composer and
arranger.
By his early twenties, Johnson developed a technique characterized by flawless
precision, and he was the first trombonist to rise to the challenge of bebop
music. He remained essentially unchallenged at the forefront of modern jazz
throughout his career. Johnson has long been regarded as the leading trombonist
of the Post-Swing Era, exerting a pervasive influence on other jazz musicians.
Johnson was commonly ranked among the first order of modern jazz musicians who
came to prominence during the 1940s. He was known primarily for playing in the
bebop style, but also worked extensively in other genres, notably in third
stream, which blended classical music and jazz. Johnson co-led a quintet with
trombonist Kai Winding which toured extensively and recorded several successful
albums. Johnson also recorded many solo albums, and was a sideman on many
classic jazz recordings. Several of his compositions, including "Wee Dot," "Lament,"
and "Enigma" are considered jazz standards.
In 1970 he ceased performing in public for most of 17 years, before a comeback
in the late 1980s. From the mid-1950s on, Johnson was a perennial polling
favorite in jazz circles, even winning "Trombonist of the Year" in Down Beat
magazine during years he wasn't active. Voted into Down Beat's Hall of Fame in
1995, J.J. Johnson's recording career spanned 54 years, from 1942 to 1996, when,
his health failing, he committed suicide.