Alphonso Johnson

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Alphonso Johnson, 1977

Alphonso Johnson (born February 2, 1951 in Philadelphia ) is an American jazz bassist of modern jazz and fusion jazz .

biography

Johnson was originally a trombonist and double bass player , but in 1968 he specialized in the electric bass instrument . His musical career began in the early 1970s; at that time he worked with various jazz musicians, such as Horace Silver , Woody Herman (1972), Chuck Mangione (1973) and Chet Baker . Johnson eventually became a member of the jazz rock formation Weather Report , where he took over from founding member Miroslav Vitouš in 1973 . He worked on the album Mysterious Travelerfrom Weather Report, then recorded two more albums with the band, but then left the band in late 1975. He then worked in the band of Billy Cobham and George Duke (1976-77).

Johnson was one of the first musicians to popularize the Chapman Stick . In 1977 this paved the way for him to rehearse at Genesis , who were looking for a replacement for Steve Hackett . He also worked with Eddie Henderson , Flora Purim , the Crusaders and Bob Weir ; in those years he also recorded with John McLaughlin , Dee Dee Bridgewater , Phil Collins , Didier Lockwood and L. Subramaniam . Between 1985 and 1989 (but also in 1992) Johnson was a member of Santana ; In 1996 he also took part in the solo band project Abraxas Pool of some (former) Santana band members. That same year he toured with Wayne Shorter , Jim Beard , David Gilmore and Rodney Holmes . Then he belonged to the cover band Jazz Is Dead until 2002 , on whose albums Blue Light Rain, Laughing Water and Great Sky River he can be heard.

In addition to his actual work as a musician, Johnson has repeatedly appeared as a bassist trainer. For example, he taught at the Mesar Haus Institute of Music in Tokyo, the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles and the California Institute of the Arts. In 2004 he was appointed Associate Professor at the University of Southern California . Seminars and workshops took him to Germany, Great Britain, France, Australia, Brazil and Argentina.

Selection discography

Solo albums
  • 1976: Moonshadows
  • 1976: Yesterdays Dreams
  • 1977: Spellbound
Other cooperation
  • Weather Report: Mysterious Traveler , Tale Spinnin´ , Black Market
  • Santana: Beyond Appearances (1985), Freedom (1987), Blues for Salvador (1987), Viva Santana! (1988), Spirit Dancing in the Flesh (1990)
  • Abraxas Pool: Abraxas Pool (Miramar / BMC, 1997)
  • Philip Catherine : Guitar Groove (Dreyfus, 1999)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b forbassplayersonly.com: Alphonso Johnson
  2. ↑ Michael Wetzel: Video: Noble electric basses from the German province In: Deutsche Welle , magazine "Made in Germany" from September 11, 2013
  3. ↑ Olli Bär / Thoralf Lange: Im Tempel der Woftöner In: Frankenpost from September 8, 2014.
  4. ↑ Alphonso Johnson ( Memento from December 4, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) In: Guitar & Bass , (English), accessed on December 20, 2013

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Johnson, Alphonso
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz bassist
DATE OF BIRTH February 2, 1951
PLACE OF BIRTH Philadelphia