The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Vols. 1 & 2
| The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Volume 1 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 1956 | |||
| Recorded |
| |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 40:13 | |||
| Label | Blue Note BLP 1505 (Vol. 1) BLP 1506 (Vol. 2) | |||
| Producer | Alfred Lion Michael Cuscuna (Reissue) | |||
| J. J. Johnson chronology | ||||
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| The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson | ||||
 Volume 2 | ||||
The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Vols. 1 & 2 are a pair of separate but related compilation albums by American jazz trombonist J. J. Johnson, recorded over three sessions between 1953 and 1955 and released on Blue Note in 1956.
Background[edit]
Recording and production[edit]
Johnson recorded three session for Blue Note—one with Doug Hawkins in New York City on June 22, 1953 and two with Rudy Van Gelder at his home studio in Hackensack, New Jersey on September 24, 1954 and June 6, 1955—resulting in three ten-inches: Jay Jay Johnson with Clifford Brown (1953), The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 2 (1954), and The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 3 (1955), respectively.
Personal life[edit]
At the time of the 1953 recording session, Johnson had withdrawn from full-time playing to work as a blueprint inspector.[1][2]
Release history[edit]
After 10"s lost the format war, Blue Note began reissuing its Modern Jazz Series on 12"s. The three sessions were subsequently recompiled across The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 1 (BLP 1505) and The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 2 (BLP 1506).[3]
The two volumes were recompiled for their CD reissue, restoring the track listing of the original 10"s, placing Vol. 1 (BLP 2028) on Volume 1, and Vol. 2 (BLP 5057) and Vol. 3 (BLP 5070) on Volume 2.[4][5]
Reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic (Vol. 1) |   [6] |
| AllMusic (Vol. 2) | [7] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz (Vol. 1) | [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz (Vol. 2) | [2] |
The AllMusic review of Volume 1 by Scott Yanow states, "Although Johnson has a couple of features, Clifford Brown largely steals the show".[6]
The AllMusic review of Volume 2 by Stephen Cook states, "J.J. Johnson's Blue Note sides from the first half of the '50s represent some of the best bop of the day. And for listeners interested in just picking up one of the trombonist's early dates, this second installment of his Eminent J.J. Johnson series is the one to get ... a bop classic."[7]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded both volumes four-out-of-four stars, and the first volume a "Crown", calling calling it "one of the central documents of post-war jazz."[2]
Track listing[edit]
The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 1[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Date recorded | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Turnpike" | J. J. Johnson | June 22, 1953 | 4:15 |
| 2. | "Lover Man" |
| June 22, 1953 | 3:50 |
| 3. | "Get Happy" | June 22, 1953 | 4:47 | |
| 4. | "Sketch 1" | John Lewis | June 22, 1953 | 4:21 |
| 5. | "Capri" | Gigi Gryce | June 22, 1953 | 3:37 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Date recorded | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jay" | J. J. Johnson | September 24, 1954 | 3:42 |
| 2. | "Old Devil Moon" | September 24, 1954 | 3:52 | |
| 3. | "It's You or No One" | September 24, 1954 | 4:06 | |
| 4. | "Too Marvelous for Words" | September 24, 1954 | 3:35 | |
| 5. | "Coffee Pot" | J. J. Johnson | September 24, 1954 | 4:08 |
The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 2[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Date recorded | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | ""Daylie" Double" | June 6, 1955 | 4:27 | |
| 2. | "Pennies from Heaven" | June 6, 1955 | 4:18 | |
| 3. | "You're Mine, You" | June 6, 1955 | 3:07 | |
| 4. | "Turnpike" (alt. take) | June 22, 1953 | 4:10 | |
| 5. | "It Could Happen to You" |
| June 22, 1953 | 4:42 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Date recorded | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Groovin'" | June 6, 1955 | 4:40 | |
| 2. | "Portrait of Jennie" |
| June 6, 1955 | 2:56 |
| 3. | "Viscosity" | June 6, 1955 | 4:21 | |
| 4. | "Time After Time" |
| September 24, 1954 | 4:13 |
| 5. | "Capri" (alt. take) | June 22, 1953 | 3:47 |
2001 CD reissues[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Date recorded | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Capri" | Gigi Gryce | June 22, 1953 | 3:37 |
| 2. | "Lover Man" |
| June 22, 1953 | 3:50 |
| 3. | "Turnpike" | J. J. Johnson | June 22, 1953 | 4:15 |
| 4. | "Sketch 1" | John Lewis | June 22, 1953 | 4:21 |
| 5. | "It Could Happen to You" | June 22, 1953 | 4:42 | |
| 6. | "Get Happy" | June 22, 1953 | 4:47 | |
| 7. | "Capri" (alternate take) | Gryce | June 22, 1953 | 3:47 |
| 8. | "Turnpike" (alternate take) | Johnson | June 22, 1953 | 4:10 |
| 9. | "Get Happy" (alternate take) |
| June 22, 1953 | 4:11 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Date recorded | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Too Marvelous for Words" |
| September 24, 1954 | 3:35 |
| 2. | "Jay" | September 24, 1954 | 3:42 | |
| 3. | "Old Devil Moon"" |
| September 24, 1954 | 3:52 |
| 4. | "It's You or No One" |
| September 24, 1954 | 4:06 |
| 5. | "Time After Time" |
| September 24, 1954 | 4:13 |
| 6. | "Coffee Pot" | September 24, 1954 | 4:08 | |
| 7. | "Pennies from Heaven" |
| June 6, 1955 | 4:18 |
| 8. | "Viscosity" | June 6, 1955 | 4:21 | |
| 9. | "You're Mine, You" |
| June 6, 1955 | 3:07 |
| 10. | ""Daylie" Double" | June 6, 1955 | 4:27 | |
| 11. | "Groovin'" | June 6, 1955 | 4:40 | |
| 12. | "Portrait of Jennie" |
| June 6, 1955 | 2:56 |
| 13. | "Pennies from Heaven" (alternate take) | June 6, 1955 | 4:25 | |
| 14. | "Viscosity" (alternate take) | June 6, 1955 | 4:21 | |
| 15. | ""Daylie" Double" (alternate take) | June 6, 1955 | 4:38 |
- The 1989/1997 Blue Note CD re-issues include the same content as the 2001 CD, but the tracks are arranged chronologically by recording date.
Personnel[edit]
Musicians[edit]
June 22, 1953[edit]
- J.J. Johnson – trombone
- Clifford Brown – trumpet (except "It Could Happen to You")
- Jimmy Heath – tenor and baritone saxophones (except "It Could Happen to You")
- John Lewis – piano
- Percy Heath – bass
- Kenny Clarke – drums
September 24, 1954[edit]
- J.J. Johnson – trombone
- Wynton Kelly – piano
- Charles Mingus – bass
- Kenny Clarke – drums
- Sabu Martinez – congas (except "It's You or No One" and "Time After Time")
June 6, 1955[edit]
- J.J. Johnson – trombone
- Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone
- Horace Silver – piano
- Paul Chambers – bass
- Kenny Clarke – drums
Technical personnel[edit]
Original[edit]
- Alfred Lion – producer
- Doug Hawkins (1953) – recording engineer
- Rudy Van Gelder (1954, 1955) – recording engineer
- John Hermansader – cover design
- Francis Wolff – photography
- Bob Blumenthal – liner notes
Reissue[edit]
- Michael Cuscuna – reissue producer
- Gordon H Jee – creative director
- Rudy Van Gelder – 2001 remaster
- Ron McMaster – digital transfers
References[edit]
- ^ Blumenthal, Bob (2001). The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 1 (insert). J.J. Johnson. New York: Blue Note. 32143-2.
- ^ a b c d Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). New York: Penguin. p. 786. ISBN 0-14-103401-7.
- ^ Cook, Richard (2004) Blue Note Records: the biography Justin, Charles & Co., pp. 241–244.
- ^ "The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Vol. 1" AllMusic. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- ^ Blue Note Records discography accessed September 28, 2010
- ^ a b Yanow, S. AllMusic Review accessed September 14, 2010
- ^ a b Cook, S. AllMusic Review accessed September 14, 2010
