J.J. Johnson

小简介
长号可以说是最难适应变化快速的bebop。但是神乎其技的J.J JOHNSON克服重重难题，证明了自己可以用这种别人看来笨重的乐器，也可以这样快速，而且对细节又可以加以精准的处理。他的表现让人们对长号另眼相看，不仅获得广大的乐迷，也受到乐评的欣赏。J.J JOHNSON 9岁的时候向教堂的管风琴师学习音乐，到了中学时对音乐非常有兴趣，当时他最能接近的是低音萨克斯风，在15岁时选择了长号。1940年与BennyCarter和Coun Basie的大乐团做巡回演出，此时他也常在当时纽约市的五十二街的俱乐部做演奏。他也曾参与Miles Davis的几张经典唱片的录音。50年代初期曾短暂退出乐坛，1954年再与Kai Winding的伍重奏演出，他们之间密切的合作，专集Jay and Kai （Sony唱片）就是非常出色的作品。J.J JOHNSON 在作曲方面的表现也是很出色的。60年代时他开始代自己的乐团时，才专心开始作曲的工作。1970年他来到加州定居，也为电视和电影作了不少曲子，他也一直保持自己的高质的品味。J.J JOHNSON 对歌曲的细节有相当的敏锐度，这是为何他会受到如此重视的另一个主要原因之一。J.J JOHNSON 是位伟大的爵士长号大师，为长号领域做出巨大贡献。被誉为“伸缩号之王”。
by Scott Yanow
Considered by many to be the finest jazz trombonist of all time, J.J. Johnson somehow transferred the innovations of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie to his more awkward instrument, playing with such speed and deceptive ease that at one time some listeners assumed he was playing valve (rather than slide) trombone. Johnson toured with the territory bands of Clarence Love and Snookum Russell during 1941-1942, and then spent 1942-1945 with Benny Carters big band. He made his recording debut with Carter (taking a solo on Love for Sale in 1943), and played at the first JATP concert (1944). Johnson also had plenty of solo space during his stay with Count Basies Orchestra (1945-1946). During 1946-1950, he played with all of the top bop musicians, including Charlie Parker (with whom he recorded in 1947), the Dizzy Gillespie big band, Illinois Jacquet (1947-1949), and the Miles Davis Birth of the Cool Nonet. His own recordings from the era included such sidemen as Bud Powell and a young Sonny Rollins. Johnson, who also recorded with the Metronome All-Stars, played with Oscar Pettiford (1951) and Miles Davis (1952), but then was outside of music, working as a blueprint inspector for two years (1952-1954). His fortunes changed when, in August 1954, he formed a two-trombone quintet with Kai Winding that became known as Jay and Kai and was quite popular during its two years.
After Johnson and Winding went their separate ways (they would later have a few reunions), Johnson led a quintet that often included Bobby Jaspar. He began to compose ambitious works, starting with 1956s Poem for Brass, and including El Camino Real and a feature for Dizzy Gillespie, Perceptions; his Lament became a standard. Johnson worked with Miles Davis during part of 1961-1962, led some more small groups of his own, and by the late 60s was kept busy writing television and film scores. J.J. Johnson was so famous in the jazz world that he kept on winning Downbeat polls in the 1970s, even though he was not playing at all. However, starting with a Japanese tour in 1977, Johnson gradually returned to a busy performance schedule, leading a quintet in the 1980s that often featured Ralph Moore. In the mid-90s, he remained at the top of his field, but by the late 90s and early into the 2000s, the legendary musician fell ill with prostate cancer, and sadly took his own life on February 4, 2001.