Gus Johnson
Gus Johnson (November 15, 1913 – February 6, 2000) was an American swing drummer in various jazz bands, born in Tyler, Texas, United States. After learning to play drums from his next-door neighbor, Johnson occasionally played professionally at the age of ten in the Lincoln Theater, and performed in various local groups, most notable McDavid's Blue Rhythm Band. Upon graduating from Booker T. Washington High School, Johnson moved to Kansas City, where he took up drumming full-time. He joined Jay McShann's Orchestra in 1938, with his music career being interrupted by his conscription into the military in 1943. In 1945, Johnson returned from his stint in the military, and relocated to Chicago to perform in the Jesse Miller Band. Johnson played on Willie Dixon's debut album, Willie's Blues. He subsequently played alongside Count Basie, and was recorded on the album, Basie Rides Again, in 1952. Following a recovery from appendicitis, Johnson was featured in numerous groups and dozens of recordings in the 1960s. In 1972, his former bandmates from Jay McShann's Orchestra reconvened to record Going to Kansas City. Although Johnson continued to tour into the 1980s, he developed Alzheimer's disease in 1989, which he struggled with until his death on February 6, 2000. |
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 51-75 of 91 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | 101458 | 1/23/1957 | By the way | Nat Pierce Quintet | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101459 | 1/23/1957 | Blues for Jean | Nat Pierce Quintet | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101460 | 1/24/1957 | Hi-Fitz | Nat Pierce Quintet | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101461 | 1/24/1957 | Moten swing | Nat Pierce Quintet | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101462 | 1/24/1957 | Far East | Nat Pierce Quintet | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101463 | 1/25/1957 | No love, no nothing | Nat Pierce Quintet | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101464 | 1/25/1957 | Shake down the stars | Nat Pierce Quintet | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101465 | 1/25/1957 | Pizzicato swing | Nat Pierce Quintet | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101466 | 1/25/1957 | Society jump | Nat Pierce Quintet | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101529 | 2/1/1957 | Cha cha for Gia | Larry Sonn Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101530 | 2/1/1957 | Madrid | Larry Sonn Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101531 | 2/1/1957 | Sing something simple | Larry Sonn Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101532 | 2/1/1957 | You're driving me crazy | Larry Sonn Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101538 | 2/4/1957 | This time the dream's on me | Art Farmer Quintet ; Hal McKusick | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101539 | 2/4/1957 | Isn't it romantic? | Art Farmer Quintet ; Hal McKusick | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101540 | 2/4/1957 | Alone together | Art Farmer Quintet ; Hal McKusick | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101541 | 2/4/1957 | That old devil moon | Art Farmer Quintet ; Hal McKusick | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101542 | 2/5/1957 | Criss cross | Art Farmer Quintet ; Hal McKusick | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101543 | 2/5/1957 | For Art's sake | Art Farmer Quintet ; Hal McKusick | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101544 | 2/5/1957 | Down and dirty | Art Farmer Quintet ; Hal McKusick | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101545 | 2/5/1957 | Gone with the wind | Art Farmer Quintet ; Hal McKusick | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101546 | 2/6/1957 | When your lover has gone | Art Farmer Quintet ; Hal McKusick | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101547 | 2/6/1957 | Makin' whoopee | Art Farmer Quintet ; Hal McKusick | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101548 | 2/6/1957 | Ponsu | Art Farmer Quintet ; Hal McKusick | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 101549 | 2/6/1957 | This time the dream's on me | Art Farmer Quintet ; Hal McKusick | instrumentalist, drums |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Johnson, Gus," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/323849.
Johnson, Gus. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/323849.
"Johnson, Gus." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Gus Johnson
Discogs: Gus Johnson
Allmusic: Gus Johnson
Grove: Gus Johnson
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Johnson, Gus, 1913-2000 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81002386
Wikidata: Gus Johnson - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q574798
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/104839029
MusicBrainz: Gus Johnson - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/d513f76e-07ec-4b21-92f6-b870efbcc524
ISNI: 0000 0001 1511 9942 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000115119942
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.