Dewey Bernard Johnson (November 6, 1939 – June 26, 2018) was an American free jazz trumpeter best known for his appearance on John Coltrane's historic recording Ascension.[1]
Dewey Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Dewey Bernard Johnson |
| Born | November 6, 1939 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US |
| Died | June 26, 2018 (aged 78) |
| Genres | Jazz, free jazz, avant-garde jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Trumpet |
Early life edit
Johnson was born in Philadelphia, where he took lessons at the Granoff School of Music.[2] In the early 1960s, he spent time in California, where he met and played with Byron Allen, Noah Howard, Sonny Simmons, and other musicians interested in free improvisation.[2][3]
New York edit
In 1963, Johnson moved to New York, where he played with Sun Ra[4] and started a band with saxophonist Giuseppi Logan, bassist Reggie Johnson and drummer Rashied Ali.[1] In 1964, Johnson participated in the historic "October Revolution in Jazz", a four-day music festival organized by trumpeter Bill Dixon,[5] and also joined pianist Paul Bley's group. The following year, he appeared on Bley's album Barrage.[2] Johnson also played with saxophonists Pharoah Sanders and Marion Brown[6] and repeatedly sat in with John Coltrane's band.[1] Eventually Coltrane invited him to participate in the recording of Ascension, on which he takes the second solo, following Coltrane and preceding Sanders.[1][7]
In the spring of 1967, Johnson played in the Rashied Ali Quintet, recordings of which were released more than fifty years later.[8] Following Coltrane's death in July of that year, Johnson suffered a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized.[1] After dropping out of the music scene for a few years and living as a homeless person, Johnson joined a collective improvisation group known as The Music Ensemble, which also featured drummer Roger Baird, violinist Billy Bang, trumpeter Malik Baraka, saxophonist Daniel Carter, and bassists Earl Freeman and William Parker,[9] and began to support himself with various odd jobs.[7][1]
Later life edit
In the early 1980s, while working at Ali's Alley, a club run by Rashied Ali, Johnson met and formed a trio with drummer Paul Murphy and pianist Mary Anne Driscoll. The group frequently performed in lofts and, supplemented by saxophonist Jimmy Lyons and bassoonist Karen Borca, recorded two albums.[1] In 1984, Johnson again fell on hard times and became homeless. He later lived at the Coler Specialty Hospital on Roosevelt Island in New York City. He died in 2018.[1]
Family edit
Johnson's brother Lionel "Sonny" Johnson was a bass player. He replaced Jimmy Garrison upon the latter's departure from John Coltrane's group in 1966,[10] and played with Coltrane throughout the second half of that year.[11] He can be heard on the album Offering: Live at Temple University, recorded in November, 1966.
Discography edit
With John Coltrane
- Ascension (Impulse!, recorded 1965, released 1966)
- The Best of John Coltrane: His Greatest Years, Vol. 2 (Impulse!, 1972 re-release of Ascension)
- The Major Works of John Coltrane (GRP Records, 1992 re-release of Ascension)
- The Impulse! Albums, Vol. 3 (Impulse!, 2009 re-release of Ascension)
With Paul Bley
With Paul Murphy
- Red Snapper: Paul Murphy at CBS (CIMP, recorded 1982, released 2003)
- Cloudburst: Paul Murphy at RCA (Murphy Records, recorded and released 1983)
With Rashied Ali
- First Time Out: Live at Slugs 1967 (Survival Records, recorded 1967, released 2020)
Compilations
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h Crépon, Pierre (July 2018). "The Alphabet Of Dewey Johnson 1939–2018". The Wire. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ a b c Kennedy, Gary (2002). "Johnson, Dewey". In Kernfeld, Barry (ed.). Johnson, Dewey. Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J605800. ISBN 9781561592630.
- ^ Palomo, Julien; Chaloin, Marc. "The Sonny Simmons Story: Chapter 2: Music Matador (1963)". SonnySimmons.com. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Paul Bley Trio / Paul Bley: Closer". AllMusic.com. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ Jost, Ekkehard (1974). Free Jazz. New York: Da Capo Press. p. 84.
- ^ Jones, Leroi (1968). Black Music. New York: Da Capo Press. p. 123.
- ^ a b Such, David (1993). Avant-Garde Jazz Musicians: Performing "Out There". Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. p. 132.
- ^ Beta, Andy (20 February 2020). "Duo Exchange: Complete Sessions". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ Such, David (1993). Avant-Garde Jazz Musicians: Performing "Out There". Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. p. 125.
- ^ Porter, Lewis (1999). John Coltrane: His Life and Music. The University of Michigan Press. p. 269.
- ^ Porter, Lewis; DeVito, Chris; Fujioka, Yasuhiro; Wild, David; Schmaler, Wolf (2008). The John Coltrane Reference. Routledge. pp. 353–356.