[78-L] Some thoughts on J.J.Johnson

[Julian Vein]

On 03/11/12 19:44, Jeff Sultanof wrote:
> Julien,
>
> I offer no shopping lists, and your opinion is your opinion, which you are
> entitled to. I can only say that once again, context and the tone of the
> speaker are important. I worked with J.J. on a book project some months
> before he died, and I can hear his voice saying the words you quoted.
> Without reading the whole interview, I can tell you that he probably had a
> big smile on his face when he said this, and he was also speaking to a
> trombonist (Zwerin) so I regard this as part shop talk. He was a great guy
> with a twinkle in his eye and his tongue in his cheek.
>
> I can also tell you that he was a very important composer-arranger, who
> left some incredible music that is little known and rarely played. "Poem
> for Brass" alone would make him a major name among concert composers. One
> of my great memories is a performance of this work in the Philadelphia
> Academy of Music played by the Philadelphia Orchestra brass section. They
> were outstanding, and clearly loved the piece based on the performance and
> the way the work was introduced to the audience.
>
> Jeff Sultanof
>
>
===============
Jeff,
Fortunately, I don't know any jazz musicians personally, so I can speak 
objectively about them, which is the subject of another discussion.
There are a few Johnson sessions, which i count among my favourites:
1. Miles Davis "Walkin'" session (Prestige).
2, Sonny Rollins Vol.2 (Blue Note).
3. Andre Previn-J.J.Johnson play Kurt Weill (Columbia). This also has 
some of the finest modern jazz drumming I've ever heard by Frank Capp.
4. JATP (with Jack McVea & Illinois Jacquet), 1944, where Johnson plays 
in a declamatory style.
On the other hand, one of the worst examples of trombone improvisation 
is his on the Dec 17 1947 Charlie Parker date, where his playing is 
bitten-off, non-committal and evasive.

Yes, I agree Johnson was a very personable guy. But, so is Dave Brubeck, 
and his playing is only sporadically of high quality. My post was about 
his trombone playing, not his composing and arranging.

      Julian Vein