
Bill Johnson
William Manuel "Bill" Johnson (August 10, 1872 – December 3, 1972), was an American jazz musician, considered the father of the "slap" style of double bass playing. Johnson claimed to have started "slapping" the strings of his bass (a more vigorous technique than the classical pizzicato) after he accidentally broke his bow on the road with his band in northern Louisiana in the early 1910s. Other New Orleans string bass players picked up this style, and spread it across the country with the spread of New Orleans Jazz. Johnson was founder and manager of the first jazz band to leave New Orleans and tour widely in the 1910s, The Original Creole Orchestra. In Chicago in the early 1920s he assembled King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, considered perhaps the best of the early ensemble style jazz bands. He taught younger Chicago musicians (including Milt Hinton) his "slap" style of string bass playing. He made many recordings in Chicago in the late 1920s. Johnson continued to play with various jazz bands and orchestras into the early 1950s, sometimes working under other names. He was also involved in the import/export business along the USA-Mexico border. Johnson's brother Ollie "Dink" Johnson was also a noted musician and his sister Anita Gonzales was common-law wife or perhaps married to Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton during his stays in California. Bill Johnson died in New Braunfels, Texas, at the age of 100. |
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Birth and Death Data: Born August 10th, 1872 (Talladega), Died December 3rd, 1972 (New Braunfels)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1941
Roles Represented in DAHR: string bass, banjo, trumpet, leader
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 27 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-46055 | 10-in. | 7/5/1928 | Blue clarinet stomp | Johnny Dodds' Trio | Jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, string bass | |
Victor | BVE-46056 | 10-in. | 7/5/1928 | Blue piano stomp | Johnny Dodds' Trio | Jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, string bass | |
Victor | BVE-46063 | 10-in. | 7/6/1928 | Bucktown stomp | Johnny Dodds Washboard Band | Instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, string bass | |
Victor | BVE-46064 | 10-in. | 7/6/1928 | Weary city | Johnny Dodds Washboard Band | Instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, string bass | |
Victor | BVE-46065 | 10-in. | 7/6/1928 | Bull fiddle blues | Johnny Dodds Washboard Band | Instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, string bass | |
Victor | BVE-46066 | 10-in. | 7/6/1928 | Blue washboard stomp | Johnny Dodds Washboard Band | Instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, string bass | |
Victor | BVE-48797 | 10-in. | 1/16/1929 | Pencil papa | Johnny Dodds’ Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
Victor | BVE-48798 | 10-in. | 1/16/1929 | Heah' me talkin' | Johnny Dodds’ Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
Victor | BVE-48799 | 10-in. | 1/16/1929 | Goober dance | Johnny Dodds’ Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
Victor | BVE-48800 | 10-in. | 1/16/1929 | Too tight | Johnny Dodds’ Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
Victor | BVE-48841 | 10-in. | 1/30/1929 | Sweet Lorraine | Johnny Dodds’ Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
Victor | BVE-48842 | 10-in. | 1/30/1929 | My little Isabel | Johnny Dodds’ Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, string bass | |
Victor | BVE-48869 | 10-in. | 2/7/1929 | Indigo stomp | Johnny Dodds' Trio | Jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, string bass | |
Victor | BVE-49863 | 10-in. | 2/7/1929 | Clarinetski | Johnny Dodds' Trio | Jazz/dance instrumental trio | instrumentalist, string bass | |
OKeh | W400977 | 10-in. | 7/2/1928 | Get 'em again blues | Chicago Footwarmers ; Johnny Dodds | Jazz/dance sextet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
OKeh | W400978 | 10-in. | 7/2/1928 | Brush stomp | Chicago Footwarmers | Jazz/dance sextet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
OKeh | W400979 | 10-in. | 7/2/1928 | My girl | Chicago Footwarmers ; Johnny Dodds | Jazz/dance sextet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
OKeh | W400986 | 10-in. | 7/3/1928 | Sweep 'em clean | Chicago Footwarmers | Jazz/dance sextet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
OKeh | W400987 | 10-in. | 7/3/1928 | Lady love | Chicago Footwarmers | Jazz/dance sextet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
OKeh | W400988 | 10-in. | 7/3/1928 | Brown Bottom Bess | Chicago Footwarmers | Jazz/dance sextet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
Brunswick | C3154 | 10-in. | 3/20/1929 | Get the “L” on down the road | Bill Johnson’s Louisiana Jug Band | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Brunswick | C3155 | 10-in. | 3/20/1929 | Don’t drink it in here | Bill Johnson’s Louisiana Jug Band | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Decca | 68920 | 10-in. | 4/3/1941 | The goon drag | Sam Price and his Texas Bluesicians | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 68921 | 10-in. | 4/3/1941 | Things 'bout coming my way | Sam Price and his Texas Bluesicians | instrumentalist, trumpet | ||
Decca | 68922 | 10-in. | 4/3/1941 | Lead me Daddy straight to the bar | Sam Price and his Texas Bluesicians | instrumentalist, trumpet |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Johnson, Bill," accessed February 25, 2021, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110790.
Johnson, Bill. (2021). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved February 25, 2021, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110790.
"Johnson, Bill." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2021. Web. 25 February 2021.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Johnson, Bill (Double bassist) - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no98022506
Wikidata: William Manuel Johnson - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q862216
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/100390397/
MusicBrainz: Johnson, Bill (Double bassist) - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/258c295b-bae6-433b-955b-b590fe4a571d
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