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Is it possible to think of jazz trombone without the artistry of J.J. Johnson coming to mind? His death
in 2001 brought closure to a career covering a half-century, and there are few major figures in bop/
mainstream jazz that didn't share concert billing with him. His recorded output graced a number of
labels: Blue Note, Prestige, Concord, and Verve. In a perfect world, a career retrospective would be
a multi-disc, multi-label affair. In this imperfect world, thank Fantasy Jazz for this single disc
retrospective from its family of labels.
Johnson's trombone style remained remarkably consistent throughout his career, and you can
hear that constancy in this well-culled collection. The opening cut finds Johnson in the good
company of an aggrssively boppish Coleman Hawkins, navigating the tricky changes of Thelonious
Monk's "I Mean You." The closing selection finds him in the stylish company of fellow
trombonist Al Grey and empathic pianist Kenny Barron. The fourteen other cuts share with these
opening and closing tunes Johnson's large lyrical tone: smooth, stately, serene, always with
somewhat of a bluesy undertone. Never overtly dramatic, he could still manage to communicate
through his trombone a smolding emotional intensity, as is richly evident in the two duets with
guitarist Joe Pass included here, a longingly romantic version of "Misty," and a sharply
keening rendition of "Nature Boy" bringing to mind Coltrane's, not Nat King Cole's, cover.
This collection is a worthy monument to a jazz titan.
~ Norman Weinstein
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Track Listing: 1. I Mean You, 2. Elysee, 3.Blue Mode (take 1), 4.Chazzanova, 5. Blue 'N'Boogie, 6. Bag's Groove,
7. Laura, 8. Hymn to the Orient, 9. Horace, 10. Pinnacles, 11. Jaylock, 12. Concepts in Blue, 13.
Misty, 14.What's New, 15. Nature Boy, 16. Soft Wings.
Personnel: Nat Adderley, Kenny Barron, Count Basie, Louis Bellson, Ray Brown, Ron Carter, Paul chambers,
Kenny Clarke, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Miles Davis, Willie Dennis, Kenny Dorham, Harry "Sweets"
Edison, Tommy Flanagan, Benny Golson, Al Grey, Coleman Hawkins, Percy Heath, Joe Henderson,
Billy Higgins, Freddie Hubbard, Hank Jones, John Lewis, Charles Mingus, Fats Navarro, Joe Pass,
Niels H-B Pedersen, Oscar Peterson, Sonny Rollins, et al.
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