William Johnson
William Luther "Bill" Johnson (30 September 1912 in Jacksonville, Florida – 5 July 1960 in New York City) was an American alto saxophonist, clarinetist, and arranger. Johnson studied piano as a child and began playing the alto saxophone at the age of 16. After working with lesser-known bands he studied in conservatories in Wisconsin and Illinois, then attended Marquette University. While in Milwaukee he played with Jabbo Smith and others. He worked with Baron Lee and Tiny Bradshaw, and in 1936 joined Erskine Hawkins, with whom he performed into the early 1940s. His recordings with Hawkins include "Uptown Shuffle"' (1939, Bb 10504) and "Bear Mash Blues" (1942, Bb 30-0813); he also arranged the former title, as well as "Uncle Bud" (1941, Bb 11372), and he composed "Tuxedo Junction" with Hawkins. He appears with the latter’s band in the short film Deviled Hams (1937). There's a record on Alert from around mid-1946 by "Bill Johnson and Orchestra," which is the beginning of his subsequent group, the Musical Notes. The members, as given on the label, were: Bill Johnson (alto sax), Ray Turner (tenor sax), Gene Brooks (drums), Clifton "Skeeter" Best (guitar), Jimmy Robinson (bass), and Egbert "Sharkie" Victor (piano). The song was "If I Was A Itty Bitty Girl," with vocals by Grace Smith (who had a couple of subsequent releases on National and Avalon). Presumably those sides were recorded a bit earlier, since, by the Spring of 1946, several of the members had become the Musical Notes: Bill Johnson (tenor lead, alto sax and clarinet), West Indian Egbert Victor (baritone and piano), Clifton "Skeeter" Best (second tenor and guitar; he, too, seems to have been with Erskine Hawkins for a while), Jimmy Robinson (baritone/bass and bassist), and Gus Gordon (lead tenor and cocktail drums). Bill Johnson and the Musical Notes recorded for Harlem, RCA, King, Regal, Tru-Blue, Ronnex (as the Bill Johnson Quartet), Jubilee (Ronnex masters), and Baton (Bill Johnson Quintet). Over the years, there were many personnel changes, but Bill and Gus Gordon were on all the recordings. Johnson was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1957, which caused the breakup of the group, although he re-formed it on a couple of occasions. |
Birth and Death Data: Born September 30, 1912 (Jacksonville), Died July 5, 1960
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1938 - 1947
Roles Represented in DAHR: saxophone, leader, composer, vocalist, songwriter, guitar
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 93 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-026855 | 10-in. | 9/12/1938 | (Shango, shango, shangoree) Rockin' rollers' jubilee | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-026856 | 10-in. | 9/12/1938 | I'm madly in love with you | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Merle Turner | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-026857 | 10-in. | 9/12/1938 | Let this be a warning to you, baby | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-026858 | 10-in. | 9/12/1938 | Miss Hallelujah Brown | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-026859 | 10-in. | 9/12/1938 | Weary blues | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-026860 | 10-in. | 9/12/1938 | King Porter stomp | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-027958 | 10-in. | 10/20/1938 | Strictly swing | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-027959 | 10-in. | 10/20/1938 | Do you want to jump, children? | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-027960 | 10-in. | 10/20/1938 | (Oh! Oh!) What do you know about love? | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-027961 | 10-in. | 10/20/1938 | A study in blue | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-027962 | 10-in. | 10/20/1938 | Easy rider (I wonder where my easy rider's gone) | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-027963 | 10-in. | 10/20/1938 | Because of you | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-035719 | 10-in. | 4/8/1939 | "I," the living "I" | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-035720 | 10-in. | 4/8/1939 | Let the punishment fit the crime | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-035721 | 10-in. | 4/8/1939 | Swing out (Theme song of Erskine Hawkins) | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-035722 | 10-in. | 4/8/1939 | Raid the joint | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-036943 | 10-in. | 5/14/1939 | Big-wig in the wigwam | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Ida James | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-036944 | 10-in. | 5/14/1939 | Polka dotty (Come out tonight) | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-036945 | 10-in. | 5/14/1939 | No soap | Julius Dash ; Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with saxophone solo | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-036946 | 10-in. | 5/14/1939 | Swingin' on Lenox Avenue | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer, instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-038418 | 10-in. | 7/18/1939 | Hot platter | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-038419 | 10-in. | 7/18/1939 | Gin mill special | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-038420 | 10-in. | 7/18/1939 | Cherry | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-038421 | 10-in. | 7/18/1939 | Tuxedo Junction | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer, instrumentalist, saxophone | |
Victor | BS-038422 | 10-in. | 7/18/1939 | Weddin' blues | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer, instrumentalist, saxophone |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Johnson, William," accessed May 28, 2022, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113646.
Johnson, William. (2022). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 28, 2022, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113646.
"Johnson, William." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2022. Web. 28 May 2022.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Bill Johnson (reed player)
Discogs: William Johnson
Allmusic: William Johnson
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Johnson, William, 1912-1960 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2007090070
Wikidata: Bill Johnson (reed player) - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4909625
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/101035698
MusicBrainz: Bill Johnson - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/bb44e6a9-7c57-4e33-b46e-a12584a8b9ac
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