Howard Johnson (jazz musician)
Howard Lewis Johnson (born August 7, 1941) in Montgomery, Alabama, is an American jazz musician known mainly for his work on tuba and baritone saxophone, although he also plays the bass clarinet, trumpet and other reed instruments.[1]
Johnson has accompanied George Gruntz extensively. As a leader, he released three albums during the 1990s for Verve Records, the first Arrival, a tribute to Pharaoh Sanders.
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[edit] Biography
In the 1960s he worked with Charles Mingus, Hank Crawford, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Archie Shepp, and Hank Mobley on the album A Slice of the Top. He also began a long association with Gil Evans in 1966. He was arranger of a horn section that backed Taj Mahal on Mahal's 1971 live album, The Real Thing, which featured three other tubists/multi-instrumentalists, Bob Stewart, Joseph Daley and Earl McIntyre. Johnson also played with The Band on their Rock of Ages live album, The Last Waltz and into the late 2000s with The Band drummer, Levon Helm's Band. During the 1970s, Howard led the Saturday Night Live Band.
He has also led three tuba bands, collaborated with Tomasz Stanko, Substructure, Tuba Libre and GRAVITY, perhaps his best known band. He has recorded frequently.
He had a minor role in the 1983 film, Eddie and the Cruisers as Wendell's replacement. He has also appeared in episodes of Matlock and Hill Street Blues.
Howard Johnson has two grown children, David and Nedra. David (1964-2009) was an actor in New York, and lived in Brooklyn. Nedra is an accomplished and respected blues singer and musician.
[edit] Discography
[edit] As leader
- 1994: Arrival: A Pharoah Sanders Tribute (Verve)
- 1995: Gravity!!! (Verve)
- 1998: Right Now (Verve)
[edit] As sideman
- Taj Mahal (Columbia, 1971), The Real Thing
- Gato Barbieri: Chapter Three: Viva Emiliano Zapata (Impulse!, 1974), Chapter Four: Alive in New York (Impulse!, 1975)
- Carla Bley: Tropic Appetites (Watt, 1973–74), Escalator over the Hill
- Gary Burton: A Genuine Tong Funeral (RCA, 1967–68)
- Miles Davis: Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux (Warner, 1991)
- Gil Evans: Svengali (ACT, 1973), The Honey Man (Newtone)
- Barbara Dennerlein: Junkadoo (Verve 1996)
- Dexter Gordon: Sophisticated Giant (Columbia, 1977)
- Charlie Haden: Liberation Music Orchestra (Impulse, 1968)
- Andrew Hill: Passing Ships (Blue Note, 1969)
- Jazz Composers Orchestra: Communications (JCOA, 1968)
- Jack De Johnette Special Edition: Album Album (ECM, 1984)
- Charles Mingus: Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert (Columbia, 1972)
- NDR Big Band: Bravissimo (ACT 1992)
- Jaco Pastorius: Jaco Pastorius (Sony, 1975)
- Jaco Pastorius: Word of Mouth (Warner, 1981)
- John Scofield: Quiet (Verve, 1996)
- Archie Shepp: Mama Too Tight (Impulse!, 1966)
- Gábor Szabó & Bob Thiele: Light My Fire (Impulse!, 1967)
- James Taylor: "Jellyman Kelly" (Sesame Street, 1980) [2]
- Chet Baker: "but not for me" "a reissue of a great 1982 studio session" (Random Chance Records, 2003)
With George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band
- The George Gruntz Conert Jazz Band with Guest Star Elvin Jones (MPS, 1978)
- At Zürich Schauspielhaus (Kenwood, 1981, erschienen 1984)
- Live 82 (Amiga, 1982)
- Theatre (ECM, 1983)
- Happening Now! (Hat Hut, 1987)
- First Prize (Enja, 1989)
- Blues ´n´ Dues et Cetera (Enja, 1991)
- Beyond Another Wall (TCB, 1991)
- Ray Anderson & The George Gruntz Big Band (Gramavision, 1994)
