DESCRIPTION:
BEST SOUND AT 720p. Chloe by Plas Johnson, a very popular saxophone player, from the 1959 Capitol stereo LP titled Mood For The Blues. Plas John Johnson Jr. (born July 21, 1931) is an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most widely known as the tenor saxophone soloist on Henry Mancini's "The Pink Panther Theme". Recruited by Capitol Records in the mid-1950s, Johnson also played on innumerable records by Peggy Lee, Nat "King" Cole, Glen Gray, Frank Sinatra and others. He remained a leading session player for almost twenty years, averaging two sessions a day and playing everything from movie soundtracks to rock and roll singles, by such artists as Ricky Nelson and Bobby Vee. He played on many of the Beach Boys' records, and was an integral part of a number of instrumental groups that existed in name only, such as B. Bumble and the Stingers. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he was a regular member of Henry Mancini's studio orchestra and in 1963 he recorded the Pink Panther theme. Another solo for a well-known television series was on The Odd Couple's theme music. Johnson was also used by Motown, and played on hits by Marvin Gaye, the Supremes and others.

Johnson can be heard on the 1963 album "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook", recorded under the baton of the great Nelson Riddle. His sax is also heard on two of the other great Ella Fitzgerald songbooks - The Harold Arlen Songbook and The Johnny Mercer Songbook.

In 1964, Johnson was the featured performer on "Blue Martini" ( Ava Records ), a concept album by John Neel. It was a groundbreaking album, with the saxophone being the lead "voice" surrounded by a full string section. This jazz/classical hybrid contains some of Johnson's best and most innovative playing, with the standout being "Bury Me Blue".

In 1970, he joined the studio band for "The Merv Griffin Show" and also played with a number of jazz and swing bands of the period. He continues to record and perform, particularly at jazz festivals.

Johnson currently performs on T990 (brass) and T9937 (solid silver) tenor saxophones made by Yanagisawa. He uses a very open (140/2) Berg Larsen stainless steel mouthpiece with Rico Plasticover no. 2 reeds, a setup that enables him to produce his very di