Howard Johnson

CAREER OVERVIEW



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. Moved to New York City, February, 1963.



Charles Mingus - tuba - 1964-66-1972-74

Hank Crawford - baritone sax - 1965-67

Gil Evans - 1966-1988

    tuba, bari-sax, bass sax, bass clarinet

Archie Shepp - tuba - 1966-68

Buddy Rich - 1966 - bari-sax and bass clarinet



In Los Angeles

Gerald Wilson - bari-sax - 1967 and 1972

Oliver Nelson -1 967 and 1972 - tuba

Quincy Jones - tuba (studio) - 1972

Jazz Composer's Orchestra - 1968-70

    (Carla Bley, Mike Mantler, Cecil Taylor, Pharoah Sanders)

Charlie Hayden's Liberation Music Orchestra - 1968 - tuba (studio)

SUBSTRUCTURE /GRAVITY - 1968 - present.



Taj Mahal-1971 - tuba, bari-sax, flugelhorn

    ("The Real Thing" live at Fillmore East/Sony-Legacy)

Gato Barbieri - 1974-75 - electric bass

John Lennon - 1974, 1975-1980 - bari-sax, arranger

Saturday Night Live - 1975-1980 - bari-sax, tuba, arranger

    (bandleader in 1979-80 season)

The Band - 1971 - ("Rock of Ages") and 1976 ("The Last Waltz")

B. B. King - 1973 - bari-sax, arranger

Paul Butterfield's Better Days - 1973-74 - bari-sax, arranger

Oakland Symphony - 1977 - arranger for Taj Mahal

George Gruntz - 1976-present - tuba, bari-sax, bass clarinet.



Abdullah Ibrahim - 1987-90 - bari-sax

Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition

    1984-87

Dizzy Gillespie Big Band 70th Birthday

    European and Japan Tours - 1987

George Gruntz's jazz operas

    "The Holy Grail of Jazz and Joy" - 1987

    "Cosmopolitan Greetings"-1988

    (Principal roles)

Spike Lee's film soundtracks

    "School Daze", "Mo' Better Blues"

    "Malcolm X", and "Clockers" - 1990's

North German State Radio

    (NDR) Big Band-1991-95



George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band (GGCJB) 1st Jazz band tour of Mainland China - 1991

J. J. Johnson CD "The Brass Orchestra" - 1996

John Scofield CD's "Groove Elation" and "Quiet" - 1995 and 1996

GRAVITY - Monterey, Playboy, Berlin, Leverkuesen and Montreal Jazz Festivals - 1996-2000



DISCOGRAPHY (All on Verve)

"Arrival" (tribute to Pharoah Sanders) 1994

    with NUBIA (Johnson's Hamburg - based band)

"GRAVITY!!!" - with GRAVITY - 1995

"Right Now!" - with GRAVITY and Taj Mahal - 1998