Gus Johnson

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Gus Johnson (born November 15, 1913 in Tyler , Texas , † February 6, 2000 in Westminster , Colorado ) was an American jazz drummer.

Johnson played the piano before studying bass and drums. At the age of ten he performed at the Lincoln Theater in Houston . He worked with McDavid's Blue Rhythm Boys and Lloyd Hunter, and after graduating from high school in Kansas City, formed his own vocal group, the Four Rhythm Aces .

In the mid-1930s, he worked under band leaders such as Jo Jones and Speck Redd before joining the band of pianist Jay McShann in 1938 , who was also a member of Charlie Parker at the time . He made his first recordings as a pianist under McShann. In 1943 he joined the US Army . After the end of World War II, he first appeared with Jesse Miller , Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson , Earl Hines and Cootie Williams .

In 1949 he became a member of Count Basies Combo and in 1950 of its newly formed orchestra. Since 1954 he worked as an accompanist for the singers Lena Horne and Ella Fitzgerald and was also a member of the bands of Buck Clayton (1955-57) and Woody Herman (1959). During this time he also made recordings with the Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band , Coleman Hawkins , Johnny Hodges , Zoot Sims , Al Cohn , Ralph Sutton and Stan Getz .

In 1969 he became a member of The World's Greatest Jazz Band , led by Yank Lawson and Bob Haggart , of which he was a member until 1974. Here he made recordings with pianists Ralph Sutton and Jay McShann as well as Eddie Lockjaw Davis .

In 1974 he retired in Denver , but still appeared occasionally and made recordings, such as 1979 with Count Basie and 1983 with Peanuts Hucko . He gave his last public concert in Bern in 1990 with Jay McShann, Ralph Sutton and Milt Hinton .

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personal data
SURNAME Johnson, Gus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz bassist
DATE OF BIRTH November 15, 1913
PLACE OF BIRTH Tyler , Texas
DATE OF DEATH February 6, 2000
Place of death Westminster , Colorado