Manzie Johnson

Manzie Johnson (August 19, 1906 – April 9, 1971) was an American jazz drummer.

Johnson was raised in New York City, where he played piano and violin before switching to drums. He worked with Willie Gant's Ramblers (1926), June Clark, Elmer Snowden, Joe Steele, Fats Waller, Jelly Roll Morton (1928), James P. Johnson, and Horace Henderson (1930) before joining Don Redman's orchestra, where he played from 1931 to 1937. Johnson then spent time as a freelance musician with Red Allen, Benny Morton, Willie Bryant, Lil Armstrong, Mezz Mezzrow, Redman and James P. Johnson again, Ovie Alston, and Fletcher Henderson. He served in the military during World War II, then played part-time with Sidney Bechet (ca. 1951), Garvin Bushell, and Happy Caldwell. Johnson never led his own recording session.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 19th, 1906 (Putnam), Died April 9th, 1971 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1941

Roles Represented in DAHR: drums

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 29 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-48433 10-in. 12/6/1928 Everybody loves my honey now Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BVE-48434 10-in. 12/6/1928 Red hot pepper Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BVE-48435 10-in. 12/6/1928 Deep creek Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BVE-48436 10-in. 12/6/1928 You oughter see my gal Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-030318 10-in. 11/28/1938 Ja-da Tommy Ladnier Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-030319 10-in. 11/28/1938 Really the blues Tommy Ladnier Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-030320 10-in. 11/28/1938 When you and I were young, Maggie Tommy Ladnier Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-030321 10-in. 11/28/1938 Weary blues Tommy Ladnier Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-030450 10-in. 12/19/1938 Royal Garden blues Mezzrow-Ladnier Quintet Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-030451 10-in. 12/19/1938 Everybody loves my baby Mezzrow-Ladnier Quintet Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-030452 10-in. 12/19/1938 Ain't gonna give nobody none of my jelly-roll Mezzrow-Ladnier Quintet Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-030453 10-in. 12/19/1938 If you see me comin' Teddy Bunn ; Mezzrow-Ladnier Quintet Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-030454 10-in. 12/19/1938 Gettin' together Mezzrow-Ladnier Quintet Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-067791 10-in. 9/13/1941 I'm coming, Virginia Sidney Bechet ; New Orleans Feetwarmers Jazz/dance sextet instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-067792 10-in. 9/13/1941 Limehouse blues New Orleans Feetwarmers Jazz/dance sextet instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-067793 10-in. 9/13/1941 Georgia cabin Sidney Bechet ; New Orleans Feetwarmers Jazz/dance sextet instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-067794 10-in. 9/13/1941 Texas moaner New Orleans Feetwarmers Jazz/dance sextet instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 62442 10-in. 7/23/1937 Lindy hop Lil Armstrong and her Swing Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 62443 10-in. 7/23/1937 When I went back home Lil Armstrong and her Swing Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 62444 10-in. 7/23/1937 Let's call it love Lil Armstrong and her Swing Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 62445 10-in. 7/23/1937 You mean so much to me Lil Armstrong and her Swing Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 63558 10-in. 4/6/1938 Do the Alamo Willie Bryant Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 63559 10-in. 4/6/1938 You'll never remember and I'll never forget Willie Bryant Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 63560 10-in. 4/6/1938 You're gonna lose your gal Willie Bryant Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 63561 10-in. 4/6/1938 Neglected Willie Bryant Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
(Results 1-25 of 29 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Johnson, Manzie," accessed October 25, 2021, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107077.

Johnson, Manzie. (2021). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107077.

"Johnson, Manzie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2021. Web. 25 October 2021.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107077

External Sources

Wikipedia: Manzie Johnson

Discogs:

Allmusic:

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Johnson, Manzie - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n94043135

Wikidata: Manzie Johnson - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1891968

VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/27252136/

MusicBrainz: Johnson, Manzie - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/a2cc1e56-575a-47c7-a678-cc306fbe2c26

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