Howard Johnson
b. Howard Louis Johnson, 7 August 1941, Montgomery, Alabama, USA. Johnson taught himself baritone saxophone in 1954, then learned tuba a year later. He moved to New York in February 1963 - at a time when the tuba was not a fashionable instrument (outside of dixieland bass-line chores, the only visible player was Ray Draper), but Charles Mingus welcomed him into his workshop in 1964. In 1965 he toured with soul jazz altoist Hank Crawford, playing baritone, but returned to the Workshop for a year from July 1965. In 1966 he played in the Archie Shepp band for some months and appeared with him at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1968. Gil Evans used his multi-instrumental capacity at various points between 1966 and 1970. Active on the west coast in the mid-60s, Johnson played with Buddy Rich, Gerald Wilson and Oliver Nelson. In 1968 he played on Michael Mantler's The Jazz Composers Orchestra, an epic combination of scores and extreme performances from Cecil Taylor, Pharoah Sanders and Larry Coryell. The late 60s also saw him forming a tuba ensemble named Substructure. He supplied the tuba solo on a version of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing" in 1974 (one of Gil Evans' more bizarre inspirations).
Listen to Howard Johnson
at Finetune.
Albums
- (2006) Howard Johnson's Nubia Arrival
- (2006) Gravity!!!
Top Tracks
- So Fine
- Stolen Moments
- Appointment In Ghana
- Yesterdays
- 'Round Midnight
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