Customer Reviews

Eminent J.J. Johnson 2

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These two albums from the mid-50"s are among the very best ever recorded by the master of the modern jazz trombone. J.J. shines throughout with his immaculate phrasing and musical logic, and his sidemen, especially Kenny Clarke and Wynton Kelly, back him beautifully. A must for the trombone afficianado, this treasure contains swinging blues, mellow ballads and rejuvenated standards that make one nostalgic for the days when coherence, thorough preparation and unpretensiousness were king. As Duke said--it don't mean a thing when it ain't got that swing! Highly recommended.

When the name of your album is "The Amazing Bud Powell," "The Fabulous Fats Navarro" or "The Eminent J.J. Johnson," you'd better live up to the billing. Well, J.J. does! This, the second volume of "Eminent," was originally released on Blue Note as two 10-inch records. The CD compiles two seesions, one from September 1954 and the other from June 1955, with three alternates that were not origianlly released. The first six tunes are from the '54 session featuring Mingus(!), Wynton Kelly, Kenny Clarke and Sabu on congas. These recordings are good, but they bother me because I've never met a jazz conga player that I've liked. The remaining tunes are from a band with that true Blue Note sound, which could hold its own against any of the period, including the original Jazz Messengers (of course, two of them are here). Johnson, Hank Mobley, Horace Silver, Paul Chambers and Kenny Clarke are in top form (aren't they always!), especially on "Viscosity" and "Groovin'." While "The Eminent J.J. Johnson, Volume Two" might not be a unanimous selection to the jazz album hall of fame like its predescor "Volume One," it is definitely not to be missed.

More great work for Blue Note by the master of the slide trombone. The personnell backing Mr Johnson for these two sets is about as formidable as one can find. The line up for the first six tracks has no less than Charles Mingus on bass, Wynton Kelly on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums and Sabu on congas. The second set adds a second horn in Hank Mobley, Horace Silver on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, while retaining Clarke on drums. Mr Johnson leads the groups with his formidable technique on his relativly clumsy solo instrument. Equally adept at nimble bop runs as tender muted statments, Johnson's talents are on full display. The music itself runs from early afro cuban/jazz fusion and Jazz Messanger flavored funky hard bop to tender ballad readings. A definate must for all bop fans, as well as those of the personnell.

J.J.Johnson is one of the greatest jazz trombonists who has ever lived. If you can find on CD an album called "Early Bones" you will find some miraculous duets played by Kai Winding and J.J. Johnson. Also worth purchasing. Three cheers for Mr. Richman who obviously knows his jazz.

These sessions marked J. J.'s return to jazz following a two-year hiatus, during which time J. J. worked as a blueprint inspector, seeking a more secure livelihood than what jazz could offer. Before disappearing from the music scene he had already recorded with practically all the major modernists, won the major jazz polls, and toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic. So these Blue Note sessions were delivered with serious purpose and intent by an artist who was as much about business as pleasure. Following these dates, he would sign on with Columbia in 1956, and thereafter would release dozens of albums with Kai Winding and other trombone players for Columbia, Bethlehem, Impulse, etc., practically becoming a household word. Even this popularity was not enough to guarantee him the secure, dependable income he sought, leading to another extended sabbatical from the trombone as he next found himself immersed in the Hollywood studios, devoting his time to writing and arranging.

A listener overwhelmed by J. J.'s prolific output on record could do worse than these Blue Note sessions, which represent J. J. with his game face on. He's joined by no more than a rhythm section or second compatible horn (Hank Mobley, who makes a more supportive frontline associate than a frontliner like Clifford Brown, the main second horn on Volume One). The one "suspect" tune on the date, "Pennies from Heaven," is not as cliched and tired as a listener might imagine before hearing it, and Mobley helps insure that the always elegant and genteel J. J. maintains his eminence as the most thoughtful and soulful of trombonists as well.

Complement this one with the Columbia collection, "Trombone Master," and you'll have a solid initial representation of the foremost exponent of the jazz trombone.

(Oops. I barely post what I regard as an "objective" review based on the best information I can find plus a lifetime's worth of hours listening to J. J. and countless numbers of other trombonists. I hope the individual who objects to the review does us all a favor by setting the record straight. Maybe Glenn Miller is the only trombonist who merits the description "preeminent.")

Bought this for my boyfriend for Christmas (he is a latin percussionist who is now learning to play the trombone). While I recognized all of the jazz standards and greats on the cover, his ear latched onto the congas and latin feels that were incorporated into some of the songs. This was the perfect gift!

Trombonist Johnson, at the time of these 1954-55 recordings, was well-known in jazz circles, but not as widely famous as he would become in the next several years. On the first six tracks, he plays with pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Charles Mingus, and drummer Kenny Clarke, and all of them were to become much more important in the next decade. On the remaining nine songs, J.J. (also known as Jay Jay) was helped by Horace Silver on piano, Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Paul Chambers on bass, in addition to Mr. Clarke. Those other sidemen had their most fruitful years in front of them still. The engineer for these Blue Note sessions was the fantastic Rudy van Gelder. Given all that, of course it is a wonderful purchase for any fans of post-WW II jazz. "Too Marvelous for Words" and "Old Devil Moon" and "Time After Time" are the Great American Songbook standards which highlight the first half. "Pennies from Heaven" and "Portrait of Jenny" fulfill that function in the second half of the program. There are as well several original Johnson compositions to enjoy.

This one improves upon repeat listening, so much so that after running through it a few times, it is hard to take it out of the changer.

The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 2 is made up of two stellar sessions. The first six tracks find the eminent one himself joined by Charles Mingus on bass, the great Wynton Kelly on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and a gentleman named Sabu Martinez on congas. These are very smooth mellow tracks and the congas add a little Latin spice to the session. I really enjoyed the version of "Old Devil Moon" so much I think I wore a burn mark in the CD!

Now if the album had ended there, I would consider myself completely satisfied. The second session proves to be even better than the first, as the addition of Hank Mobley's saxophone provides a welcome complement to Johnson's trombone. Mobley sounds great here, rich and buttery. Johnson and Mobley are joined by Kenny Clarke on drums, the irrepressible Horace Silver on piano, and Paul Chambers on bass. (Was there anybody Paul Chambers didn't play with? Did he ever not sound fantastic?) The second session swings like mad, a real treat to listen to. Kudos to Blue Note for putting this out on one regularly priced CD. It's worth every penny paid.

For anyone who appreciates JJ Johnson this album is a must have. It might be recorded in Mono, but the remastering allows the tracks to sound great just the same.

This swinging CD contains two of the strongest sessions Blue Note ever recorded. The rhythm section on tracks 1-6 is phenomenal: Wynton Kelly on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, Kenny Clarke on drums and Sabu Martinez on congas. This combo sounds less like four individuals than one master musician with eight limbs: they're so tight they're loose, and they support J.J. beautifully. The second session (tracks 7-15) features Hank Mobley on tenor, whose warm, smooth tone fits hand in glove with J.J.'s. Horace Silver on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and the ever-present Kenny Clarke round out the band. J.J. of course sounds brilliant throughout.

Both vols 1 and 2 were remastered in 2001, with audio much improved over their 1989 CD releases.