Jimmy Johnson (bassist)
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Johnson is an American
bass guitarist best known for his work with James Taylor
, Allan Holdsworth
, Lee Ritenour
and Flim & the BB's
. Raised in a rich musical environment, his father was a 47-year member of the Minnesota Orchestra's bass section, his mother a piano teacher and accompanist, and his brother Gordon
is also a professional bassist.
In 1976, Johnson worked with Alembic
and GHS
to create one of the first 5-string bass guitars with a low B string. Living in the Los Angeles area since 1979, Johnson continues to record and tour with singer-songwriter
James Taylor
as well as guitarist Allan Holdsworth
, and is frequently heard with various groups at The Baked Potato
jazz club in Studio City, California.
Selected individual tracks:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bass guitarist best known for his work with James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth is an English guitarist and composer. He has released twelve studio albums as a solo artist and played many different styles of music over a period of four decades, but first drew attention for his work in jazz fusion...
, Lee Ritenour
Lee Ritenour
Lee Mack Ritenour is an American jazz guitarist who has recorded over 42 albums, appeared on over 3000 sessions, and has charted over 30 instrumental and vocal contemporary jazz hits since 1976. One of his most popular songs was the smash hit, “Is It You” in 1981. Ritenour is considered to be a...
and Flim & the BB's
Flim & the BB's
"Flim & The BB's" was a contemporary jazz band that became popular not only to jazz fans but also "tech-heads" because of the methods and type of equipment and technology that went into their recordings...
. Raised in a rich musical environment, his father was a 47-year member of the Minnesota Orchestra's bass section, his mother a piano teacher and accompanist, and his brother Gordon
Gordon Johnson (musician)
Gordon "Gordy" Johnson, is an American double bassist and bass guitarist who has toured and/or recorded with numerous artists, a few of which include Roy Buchanan, Bill Carrothers, Lorie Line, Chuck Mangione, Dewey Redman, Greg Brown, Peter Ostroushko, Paul Winter Consort, Cliff Eberhardt, Maynard...
is also a professional bassist.
In 1976, Johnson worked with Alembic
Alembic Inc
Alembic was founded in 1969 and is a manufacturer of high-end electric basses, guitars and preamps.-History:Ron and Susan Wickersham founded Alembic, Inc. in 1969...
and GHS
GHS (strings)
GHS Strings is a Battle Creek, Michigan based guitar and bass guitar string manufacturer. The company was founded in 1964, and in 1975 was bought by Robert McFee, who is still the CEO...
to create one of the first 5-string bass guitars with a low B string. Living in the Los Angeles area since 1979, Johnson continues to record and tour with singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
as well as guitarist Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth is an English guitarist and composer. He has released twelve studio albums as a solo artist and played many different styles of music over a period of four decades, but first drew attention for his work in jazz fusion...
, and is frequently heard with various groups at The Baked Potato
The Baked Potato
The Baked Potato is a noted night club located in Studio City, Los Angeles, often regarded as the world's oldest music venue specializing in jazz fusion music. The club's name is derived from its unusual menu which features more than 20 types of baked potatoes....
jazz club in Studio City, California.
Selected discography
- 3rd MatineeThird MatineeThird Matinee was formed by vocalist Richard Page and Patrick Leonard after the breakup of Page's band, Mr. Mister. The band released one album, Meanwhile , a moderately progressive album with pop rock leanings....
- Meanwhile (1994) - David Becker TribuneDavid Becker TribuneThe David Becker Tribune is an American contemporary jazz band. The band is led by namesake David Becker, who is the guitarist and composer.-History:...
- Siberian Express (1988)" - Dori CaymmiDori CaymmiDorival Tostes Caymmi is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, songwriter, arranger, and producer who is a two-time Grammy Award winner .-Biography:...
- Dori Caymmi (1988), Brazilian Serenata (1991) - Billy Childs - Take For Example This (1988), Twilight Is Upon Us (1989), His April Touch (1991 - three tracks), I've Known Rivers (1994), Lyric (2005)
- Luis ConteLuis ConteLuis Conte is a Cuban percussionist.-Early years:As a child in Cuba, Conte began his musical odyssey playing the guitar. However, he soon switched to percussion, and that has remained his mode since....
- La Cocina Caliente (1988), Black Forest (1989), Marimbula (2007), Two Worlds (2010) - Eddie DanielsEddie DanielsEddie Daniels is an American musician. Though he is best known as a jazz clarinet player, he has also played alto and tenor saxophones, as well as classical music on the clarinet....
- ...this is now (1991 - two tracks) - Flim & the BB'sFlim & the BB's"Flim & The BB's" was a contemporary jazz band that became popular not only to jazz fans but also "tech-heads" because of the methods and type of equipment and technology that went into their recordings...
- Flim & The BB's (1978), Tricycle (1983), Tunnel (1984), Big Notes (1985), Neon (1987), The Further Adventures... (1988), New Pants (1990), Vintage/best of (2010), This Is A Recording (1992), Tricycle (SACDSACDSACD, founded as Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques on 7 March 1829, is a French collecting society, undertaking collective rights management for authors...
reissue) (1999) - Brandon FieldsBrandon FieldsBrandon David Fields is an American football punter for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dolphins in the seventh round in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.-Early years:Fields attended St. John's Jesuit High School in Toledo,...
- The Traveler (1988), Other Places (1989) - Stan GetzStan GetzStanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
- Apasionado (1990) - Don GrusinDon GrusinDon Grusin , is an American songwriter, producer and keyboardist. He holds a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Colorado and for a period of his life taught at the National Autonomous University of Mexico as well as at Foothill College, California before deciding to enter the music...
- Raven (1990) - Roger HodgsonRoger HodgsonCharles Roger Pomfret Hodgson is a British musician and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman, and founding member, of progressive rock band Supertramp....
- In the Eye of the Storm (1984 - two tracks) - Allan HoldsworthAllan HoldsworthAllan Holdsworth is an English guitarist and composer. He has released twelve studio albums as a solo artist and played many different styles of music over a period of four decades, but first drew attention for his work in jazz fusion...
- Metal Fatigue (1985), Atavachron (1986), Sand (1987), Secrets (1989), Wardenclyffe Tower (1992), All Night Wrong (2002), Then (2004), Against The Clock (2005) - Gary HusbandGary HusbandGary Husband is a British jazz and rock drummer, pianist and composer.- Short biography:Gary Husband is an English jazz and rock drummer, pianist and composer...
- Dirty & Beautiful, Vol. 1 (2010) - Wayne JohnsonWayne JohnsonWayne Johnson is an American jazz and acoustic guitarist based in Southern California. Johnson won a joint Grammy Award in 2004 for his contribution to the album Pink Guitar, which featured the songs of composer Henry Mancini....
- Arrowhead (1980), Grasshopper (1983), Everybody's Painting Pictures (1984), Spirit of the Dancer (1988) - KarizmaKarizmaKarizma may refer to:* Karizma , Serbian hard rock/glam metal band* KariZma , Bulgarian pop duo* Hero Honda Karizma R, the flagship motorcycle of Hero Honda....
- Cuba (1986), Arms of Love (1989) - Earl KlughEarl KlughEarl Klugh is an American smooth jazz/crossover jazz/jazz fusion guitarist and composer.At the age of 13, Klugh was captivated by the guitar playing of Chet Atkins when Atkins made an appearance on the Perry Como Show. Klugh was a performing guest on several of Atkins' albums...
- Whispers and Promises (1989 - two tracks) - Michael LandauMichael LandauMichael Landau is a prolific session musician and guitarist who has played on a large number of albums since the early 1980s with artists as varied as Seal, James Taylor, Helen Watson, Richard Marx, Steve Perry, Pink Floyd and Miles Davis...
- Tales From The Bulge (1990), Live 2000 (2000), Live (2006) - Albert LeeAlbert LeeAlbert William Lee, born 21 December 1943 in Leominster, Herefordshire, England, is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked both in the studio and on tour with some of the most famous musicians which stretch through a very wide of genres...
- Gagged But Not Bound (1987) - Kenny LogginsKenny LogginsDuring the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
- December (1998) - Sérgio MendesSergio MendesSérgio Santos Mendes is a Brazilian musician. He has released over thirty-five albums, and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk....
- Confetti (1984 -two tracks), Arara (1989), Brasileiro (1992 - two tracks) - Simon PhillipsSimon PhillipsSimon Phillips is an English jazz, pop and rock drummer.-Career:Phillips began to play professionally at the age of twelve in his father's Dixieland band for four years. He was then offered the chance to play in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar...
- Symbiosis (1995) - Planet XPlanet X (band)Planet X is an instrumental rock/progressive metal supergroup, founded by keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Virgil Donati. Throughout a decade of activity, they have released three studio albums and one live album, each with a variety of guest musicians and oft-changing...
- Moonbabies (2002), Quantum (2007) - PorcupinePorcupinePorcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
- Look, But Don't Touch (1993) - The RippingtonsThe RippingtonsThe Rippingtons are a contemporary group mainly relating to the genres Smooth jazz, Jazz pop, and Crossover jazz. Formed in 1986 by guitarist and band leader Russ Freeman , their career has spanned two decades...
- Moonlighting (1986), 20th Anniversary (2006) - Lee RitenourLee RitenourLee Mack Ritenour is an American jazz guitarist who has recorded over 42 albums, appeared on over 3000 sessions, and has charted over 30 instrumental and vocal contemporary jazz hits since 1976. One of his most popular songs was the smash hit, “Is It You” in 1981. Ritenour is considered to be a...
- Harlequin (1985), Earth Run (1986), Color Rit (1989), Collection (1991) - Vonda ShepardVonda ShepardVonda Shepard is an American pop/rock singer. She appeared as a regular in the television show Ally McBeal from seasons 1-5 in which she played a resident performer at the bar where the show's characters drank after work. She plays piano, guitar, and bass.-Biography:Vonda Shepard was born in New...
- The Radical Light (1992) - Susie SuhSusie SuhSusie Suh is a Korean-American adult alternative/folk-rock singer-songwriter. Her music is often compared to Fiona Apple, Sarah McLachlan, and Aimee Mann. Suh cites Joni Mitchell and Beth Gibbons among her influences.[]...
- Susie Suh (2005) - James TaylorJames TaylorJames Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
- New Moon Shine (1991), James Taylor Live (1993), Hourglass (1997), October Road (2002), James Taylor at Christmas (2004, 2006 - three tracks), Covers (2008), Other Covers (EP) (2009) - Steve TavaglioneSteve TavaglioneSteve Tavaglione is a woodwind and EWI musician most notable for his work as a founder of the Latin fusion group Caldera, his work with noted keyboard player Scott Kinsey, and work in the television and film industry....
- Blue Tav (1990 - three tracks) - Sadao WatanabeSadao Watanabe (musician)is an influential Japanese jazz musician who plays the alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone and flute. He is known for his Bossa Nova recordings, although his work encompasses a large range of styles with collaborations from musicians all over the world. Sadao first began learning music at the age...
- Maisha (1985) - Ernie WattsErnie WattsErnest James "Ernie" Watts is an American jazz and rhythm and blues musician. He plays saxophone and flute. He might be best known for his work with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and his Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist...
- Musician (1985) - Chad WackermanChad WackermanChad Wackerman is a jazz, jazz fusion and rock drummer; arguably best known in the United States for his work as a drummer and percussionist in Frank Zappa's band...
- Forty Reasons (1991), The View (1993) - Roger WatersRoger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
- Amused to Death (1991) - Yoshida BrothersYoshida BrothersThe Yoshida Kyōdai are Japanese musicians and have released several albums under the Domo Records internationally as the Yoshida Brothers....
- Renaissance (2004)
Selected individual tracks:
- Peter CeteraPeter CeteraPeter Paul Cetera is an American singer, songwriter, bassist and producer best known for being an original member of the rock band Chicago, before launching a successful solo career...
- "Even A Fool Can See" from the album 'World Falling Down - Ray CharlesRay CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
- "If I Could" from the album 'My World - Al JarreauAl JarreauAlwin "Al" Lopez Jarreau is a seven-time Grammy Award winning jazz singer.- Background :Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, the fifth of six children. His web site refers to Reservoir, Inc., the name of the street where he lived. His father was a Seventh-Day Adventist Church minister and singer, and...
- "Something You Said" from the album 'Tomorrow Today - Aaron NevilleAaron NevilleAaron Neville is an American soul and R&B singer and musician. He has had four top-20 hits in the United States along with four platinum-certified albums...
- "That's The Way She Loves" from the album 'Warm Your Heart - Rod StewartRod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
- "Broken Arrow" from the album 'Vagabond Heart
External links
- Jimmy Johnson Entry on the Europe Jazz Network
- [ Jimmy Johnson at Allmusic]