Johnny Lytle
Johnny Lytle (actually John Dillard Lytle , born October 13, 1932 in Springfield , Ohio , † December 15, 1995 ibid) was an American vibraphonist and drummer of hard bop and soul jazz .
Live and act
Johnny Lytle grew up in a family of musicians: his father was a trumpeter, his mother an organist. He started playing drums and piano at an early age. He also worked as a boxer. In the late 1950s he worked as a drummer for Ray Charles and others. In 1960 he switched to the vibraphone, formed his own jazz band and recorded a number of albums for the jazz label Riverside Records , which included Johnny Griffin , Bobby Timmons , Sam Jones , the organist Milt Harris , Bob Cranshaw and Ray Barretto .
At that time Lytle was considered one of the most famous vibraphone players; he was famous for his speed and also for his showman skills . He also wrote several tracks, such as "The Loop", "The Man", "Lela", "Selim" (in honor of Miles Davis ) and his most famous track "The Village Caller", after which an album is also titled. Lytle recorded over 30 albums for various jazz labels such as Tuba, Jazzland , Solid State and Muse . Throughout his career, he has worked with Louis Armstrong , Lionel Hampton , Miles Davis, Nancy Wilson , Bobby Timmons, and Roy Ayers .
He recorded his most successful soul jazz titles in the early 1960s. With his later recordings could no longer follow on from these successes; Lytle continued to record albums in the following decades. He performed on concerts in the USA and Europe until the 1990s; his last appearance was with the Springfield (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra in his hometown in November 1995. There, after his death, the street he had lived on was named after him.
Selection discography
- Nice And Easy (Riverside, OJC, 1962) with Johnny Griffin
- Got That Feeling / Moon Child (Milestone, 1962/63)
- The Village Caller (Riverside, OJC, 1964-65)
- The Loop / New & Groovy (BGP, 1965)
literature
- Richard Cook , Brian Morton : The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD . 6th edition. Penguin, London 2002, ISBN 0-14-051521-6 .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lytle, Johnny |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Lytle, John Dillard (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American vibraphonist and hardbop and soul jazz drummer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 13, 1932 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Springfield , Ohio |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 15, 1995 |
| Place of death | Springfield , Ohio |