ENDEIT
J. J. Johnson
Photo: H. N. White Company, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Drummers · 1924–2001

J. J. Johnson

American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger (1924–2001)

Born
22 January 1924
Indianapolis
Died
4 February 2001
Indianapolis
Country
United States
Active
1942–1996
Record labels
Columbia Records, Blue Note, Philips Records, Prestige, Savoy Records
Discography
38 albums

Biography

J. J. Johnson was a jazz musician who played drum kit and trombone. J. J. Johnson was born on 22 January 1924 in Indianapolis and died on 4 February 2001 in Indianapolis. The music is usually filed under jazz, bebop and hard bop. Record labels: Columbia Records, Blue Note, Philips Records and Prestige. The discography here lists 38 albums, from “Jay Jay Johnson with Clifford Brown, Jimmy Heath, John Lewis, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke” (1953) to “Jay Jay Johnson” (2024). Honours include NEA Jazz Masters and Paul Acket Award.

J. J. Johnson (January 22, 1924 – February 4, 2001), born James Louis Johnson and also known as Jay Jay Johnson, was an American jazz trombonist, composer, and arranger. Johnson was one of the earliest trombonists to embrace bebop.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Jay Jay Johnson with Clifford Brown, Jimmy Heath, John Lewis, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke 1953 · Blue Note The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 1 1955 · Blue Note The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 2 1955 · Blue Note Trombone for Two 1955 · Columbia Blue Trombone 1957 · Columbia Dial J.J. 5 1957 · Columbia First Place 1957 · Columbia Trombone and Voices 1960 · Columbia J.J. Inc. 1961 · Columbia J.J.! 1965 · RCA Victor Proof Positive 1965 · impulse! The Cape Verdean Blues 1965 · Blue Note Goodies 1966 · RCA Victor The Total J.J. Johnson 1967 · RCA Victor Betwixt & Between 1969 · A&M Records Stonebone 1970 · A&M Records Man and Boy 1971 · Sussex Across 110th Street 1972 · United Artists Cleopatra Jones 1973 · Warner Bros. Records
First Place 1974
Willie Dynamite 1974 · MCA Records Yokohama Concert 1977 · Pablo A Date in New York 1979 · Inner City Records Concepts in Blue 1981 · Pablo Today Things Are Getting Better All the Time 1984 · Pablo Quintergy: Live at the Village Vanguard 1991 · Live · Antilles Standards: Live at the Village Vanguard 1991 · Live · Antilles J.J. Johnson's Jazz Quintets 1992 · Savoy Jazz Vivian 1992 · Concord Jazz Let's Hang Out 1993 · Verve Tangence 1995 · Gitanes Jazz Productions The Brass Orchestra 1997 · Verve Heroes 1999 · Verve Pinnacles 1999 · Original Jazz Classics Chain Reaction 2002 · Live · Pablo J.J.'s Broadway 2003 · Verve Jay Jay Johnson 2024 The Great Kai & J. J. (2025 Remaster)

Also plays on

Albums where J. J. Johnson is credited as a sideman

1951 Modern Jazz Trombones — Kai Winding, Jay Jay Johnson trombone
1951 Modern Jazz Trombones Volume Two — Bennie Green, J.J. Johnson with Sonny Stitt trombone
1952 Young Man With a Horn — Miles Davis trombone
1953 Miles Davis, Vol. 2 — Miles Davis trombone
1954 Jay & Kai — Kai Winding & J.J. Johnson trombone
1955 In the Land of Hi-Fi — Sarah Vaughan trombone
1955 Julian Cannonball Adderley — Julian Cannonball Adderley trombone
1955 Afro-Cuban — Kenny Dorham trombone
1955 K + J.J. — K + J.J. trombone
1955 This Is Chris — Chris Connor featuring Kai Winding, J.J. Johnson, Ralph Sharon, Herbie Mann, Joe Puma, Osie Johnson, Milt Hinton trombone
1955 Long Island Suite — Tony Aless trombone
1956 The Champ — Dizzy Gillespie trombone
1956 Drummer Man — Gene Krupa featuring Anita O’Day & Roy Eldridge trombone
1956 Dave Brubeck and Jay & Kai At Newport — Kai Winding, J.J. Johnson & Dave Brubeck trombone
1956 Sonny Stitt Bud Powell J.J. Johnson — Sonny Stitt, Bud Powell & J.J. Johnson trombone
1956 Jay & Kai + 6 — Kai Winding & J.J. Johnson trombone
1957 School Days — Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson & Joe Carroll trombone
1957 Sonny Rollins, Volume 2 — Sonny Rollins trombone
1957 The Hawk Flies High — Coleman Hawkins trombone
1957 Stan Getz and J.J. Johnson at The Opera House — Stan Getz and J.J. Johnson trombone
1957 Music for Brass — Gunther Schuller, John Lewis, Jimmy Giuffre, J.J. Johnson; Dimitri Mitropoulos, Gunther Schuller trombone
1957 Four Trombones — Kai Winding + J.J. Johnson + Bennie Green + Willie Dennis And Featuring John Lewis & Charlie Mingus trombone
1958 Lady in Satin — Billie Holiday trombone
1959 "Nuf Said" — Kai Winding & J.J. Johnson trombone
1961 The Great Kai & J.J. — Kai Winding & J.J. Johnson trombone
1963 Quiet Nights — Miles Davis trombone
1965 Domination — Cannonball Adderley trombone
1965 I’m Tryin’ to Get Home — Donald Byrd trombone
1965 And Then Again — Elvin Jones trombone
1965 Joyride — Stanley Turrentine trombone

Standards written by J. J. Johnson

TitleKeyFormGroove
Lament F minor ABAC · 32 Ballad
Elora B♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Shutterbug G minor A · 20 Up-tempo swing

Analysed solos by J. J. Johnson

Studied with

Fats Navarro 1923–1950 · American jazz trumpeter (1923–1950)

Teacher of

Curtis Fuller 1934–2021 · American jazz musician (1932–2021)

Awards

Historic 78 rpm records

  • Norman Granz' Jazz at the Philharmonic Heyman · Hines · J. J. Johnson · Norman Granz · Jack McVea · Lee… archive.org ↗
  • Blues, Pt. 2; Blues, Pt. 3 Les Paul · Johnny Miller · Lee Young · Illinois Jacquet · J. J… archive.org ↗
  • Body And Soul, Part 1; Body And Soul, Part 2 Heyman · Sour · Eyton · Norman Granz · Illinois Jacquet · Jack McVea… archive.org ↗
  • Jazz at the Philharmonic Caesar · Jack McVea · Les Paul · Palmer · Williams · "Shorty Nadine"… archive.org ↗
  • Charlie's Wig Charlie Parker Quintet · Miles Davis · J. J. Johnson · Duke Jordan ·… archive.org ↗
  • LESTER LEAPS IN, Pt. I Jack McVea · Illinois Jacquet · J. J. Johnson · "Shorty" Nadine ·… archive.org ↗
  • TEA FOR TWO Illinois Jacquet; Jack McVea · J. J. Johnson · Les Paul · "Shorty… archive.org ↗
  • TEA FOR TWO Illinois Jacquet · Jack McVea · J. J. Johnson · Les Paul · "Shorty… archive.org ↗

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did J. J. Johnson play?

J. J. Johnson is known for playing drum kit and trombone.

When and where was J. J. Johnson born?

J. J. Johnson was born 22 January 1924 in Indianapolis.

What are J. J. Johnson's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Jay Jay Johnson with Clifford Brown, Jimmy Heath, John Lewis, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke (1953), The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 1 (1955), The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 2 (1955), Trombone for Two (1955) and Blue Trombone (1957).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.