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“Music is my mistress and she plays second fiddle to no one.”
-Duke Ellington |
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 Thursday, 08 January 2009 |
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Howard Johnson Celebrates his 65th at Sweet Rhythm with a Ton of Tubas |
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Written by Ronaldo Oregano
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Wednesday, 26 July 2006 |
 Howard Johnson © Skip Bolen
One of the top jazz tuba soloists of all time, Howard Johnson
celebrates his 65th Birthday at Sweet Rhythm on August 4th with
Gravity. Gravity is a powerful force in the universe, but this is the
kind of gravity that lifts you up rather than pulling you down. There
is usually only one tuba in an orchestra but the group Gravity has six
tubas played by Velvet Brown, Bob Stewart, Howard Johnson, Joe Daley,
Randy Andos and Earl McIntyre plus Nedra Johnson, vocals & tuba;
Melissa Slocum, bass; and Yayoi Ikawa, piano.
Howard Johnson is a
very versatile player who not only plays tuba and baritone but other
reeds and trumpet. Howard Lewis Johnson was born August 7, 1941, in
Montgomery, Alabama. Moved with family to Massillon, Ohio in 1944.
Taught himself baritone saxophone in 1954, then learned tuba a year
later. After a term with U.S. Navy, Howard stayed in Boston with the
family of drummer Tony Williams. In 1962, he moved to New York City on
the advice of Eric Dolphy, where he met Pharaoh Sanders, another recent
arrival. The day he bought his first tuba, he went to a jam session and
played with the likes of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Joe Albany and Carla
Bley, who was so impressed that she included tuba in every one of her
bands until the late 1980’s.
 Gravity photo from www.hojozone.com
During this time ho got to know literally every player on the New York
scene, including John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Cannonball
Adderley. In 1966, he started a 20-year off-and-on association with Gil
Evans. On one occasion, Gil Evans sat in front of him at a gig,
remaining completely expressionless throughout the performance. Four
days later, Evans called to invite Howard to join him in Monterey. Soon
finding out that his tuba playing had inspired Gil to put together
another band. That relationship lasted until Gil Evans passing in 1988.
Over the years, Howard has worked with Hank Crawford, Archie Shepp,
Buddy Rich, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis,
Quincy Jones, The Band, Taj Mahal. Throughout the '80s and '90s, he
toured the world with George Gruntz, Dizzy Gillespie, Abdullah Ibrahim,
Ekaya and more. He can also be heard on the soundtracks of Spike Lee’s
School Daze, Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X and Clockers.
HOWARD JOHNSON’S 65th Birthday
Celebration at Sweet Rhythm August 4th with GRAVITY!!!
Six tubas played by Velvet Brown, Bob Stewart, Howard Johnson, Joe
Daley, Randy Andos and Earl McIntyre plus Nedra Johnson, vocals &
tuba; Melissa Slocum, bass; and Yayoi Ikawa, piano.
Sweet Rhythm - 88 Seventh
Avenue, South
(Between Grove and Bleecker Streets)
Phone 212-255-3626
Show times 8, 10 and 12
www.sweetrhythmny.com
Also at Sweet Rhythm on August 5th
Howard Johnson plays bari with the BearTones: Five baritone saxophones
played by Lauren Sevien, Dave Schumacher, Lisa Parrott and Howard
Johnson with Melissa Slocum, bass; Yayoi Ikawa, piano and TBA, drums.
Also catch Howard Johnson on July
30th at 8:00 pm as part of Summergarden 2006: New Music for New York
Free concerts in The Abby at Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden.
Visit www.hojozone.com for more info.
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