Alphonso Johnson

[narud]

Cool... never heard that clip! AJ looks like he's about 15, and Scofield looks like James Taylor in 1972! Awesome.

I never really went to school on Alphonso (other than his tracks on Black Market). Awesome player.

this entire video was one of my prized vhs' in my bootleg collection before youtube and the internet hit and you could watch it whenever. this stuff was hard to get!

alphonso really is on of the cats. you should check him out some more. i think youd really appreciate his sense of groove. the opposite of the typical uptight sounding on top of the beat nerdy fusion bass playing.

 

[Tandrew]

Anymajordude, you bascially said everything I had to say about Alphonso.

Love his bass playing ESPECIALLY on Cucumber Slumber it's reminscent of the line that Chuck Rainey throws down on Quincy Jones cover of "Summer in the City" which is smooth as butter.

Rumor has it that Al was showing Tony what was up with the Chapman Stick or introduced it to him, but I wasn't there so I don't know for sure.

Alphonso has some tasty playing with Santana Live and some late 70's George Duke albums i.e. "The Great Pyramid".

Just wanted to show my Alphonso love.

-Tan

 

[KJung]

this entire video was one of my prized vhs' in my bootleg collection before youtube and the internet hit and you could watch it whenever. this stuff was hard to get!

alphonso really is on of the cats. you should check him out some more. i think youd really appreciate his sense of groove. the opposite of the typical uptight sounding on top of the beat nerdy fusion bass playing.

+1 I've liked everything I've ever heard.

It was kind of funny. I really started playing seriously and professionally right when Black Market came out. Among at least the guys I hung with, Alphonso was relegated (unfairly, of course) to 'that guy who used to play with Weather Report before Jaco'. At that time (I think 1975?), Jaco just blew onto the scene so hard that he kind of erased the guys like Alphonso from our radar. We were still listening to Rainey, Louis Johnson, Stanley, etc., who all had their own thing that was very different from Jaco. At the time (again, unfairly) we all thought Alphonso was kind of a 'not as good Jaco'.

 

[Brad Johnson]

man, i forgot about captain fingers. as much as i love jackson and what he does, theres a certain stankness to how johnson plays the line on the album version that cant be beat compared to how jackson played it on gentle thoughts.

Folks around here call it "greasy"

 

[Dr. Cheese]

+1 I've liked everything I've ever heard.

It was kind of funny. I really started playing seriously and professionally right when Black Market came out. Among at least the guys I hung with, Alphonso was relegated (unfairly, of course) to 'that guy who used to play with Weather Report before Jaco'. At that time (I think 1975?), Jaco just blew onto the scene so hard that he kind of erased the guys like Alphonso from our radar. We were still listening to Rainey, Louis Johnson, Stanley, etc., who all had their own thing that was very different from Jaco. At the time (again, unfairly) we all thought Alphonso was kind of a 'not as good Jaco'.

As I said, Alphonso was guilty of being subtle during an age of flash. As we all know, there is no way AJ could have held down the gigs he had without serious chops and ability. Although I did not know it at the time, I ended up seeing the bass far closer to the way AJ plays it than my fusion heroes like Jaco and Stanley.

 

[KJung]

As I said, Alphonso was guilty of being subtle during an age of flash. As we all know, there is no way AJ could have held down the gigs he had without serious chops and ability. Although I did not know it at the time, I ended up seeing the bass far closer to the way AJ plays it than my fusion heroes like Jaco and Stanley.

+1 all the way. However, it really was something to not only hear Jaco for the first time with Weather Report, but also to be 'coming of age' when that happened (i.e., to have heard it when it was totally fresh and relevant). For a year or so, nobody really thought about much else.

I quickly got more interested in Leland Sklar and Chuck Rainey than almost anyone else for many years.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

+1 all the way. However, it really was something to not only hear Jaco for the first time with Weather Report, but also to be 'coming of age' when that happened (i.e., to have heard it when it was totally fresh and relevant). For a year or so, nobody really thought about much else.

I quickly got more interested in Leland Sklar and Chuck Rainey than almost anyone else for many years.

I know exactly what you mean. I remember sitting around with guys who were far better than I wondering what effects Jaco was using (it didn't occur to us at the time to simply turn down the neck pickup!) Jaco harmonic use seemed otherworldly to me when i first heard it too.

Within that context, simple great playing, like AJ's, could get lost in the shuffle.

 

[Tampabass]

[QUOTE Are you aware of his work with Weather Report? He was the bassist before Jaco came on board, and during that transition both of them appeared on one of their greatest albums "Black Market". AJ played the title track.
[/QUOTE]

And the Weather Report bassist BEFORE Alphonso and Jaco was the great upright bassist Miroslav Vitous ...

Yes, props to Alphonso and Jaco - Black Market remains one of my favorite fusion albums.

 

[KJung]

And the Weather Report bassist BEFORE Alphonso and Jaco was the great upright bassist Miroslav Vitous ...

Yes, props to Alphonso and Jaco - Black Market remains one of my favorite fusion albums.

One of the best ways IMO to hear the full breadth of Weather Report, and also to put all the amazing bassists that played with that band in context is to check out that 'Live and Unreleased' double CD. Nice cross-section of live performances, and I believe all the bassists are covered (Edit: I think 'Forecast Tomorrow' goes all the way back to Mirislov, the 'Live and Unreleased' starts with Alphonso through Victor Bailey).

 

[narud]

+1 I've liked everything I've ever heard.

It was kind of funny. I really started playing seriously and professionally right when Black Market came out. Among at least the guys I hung with, Alphonso was relegated (unfairly, of course) to 'that guy who used to play with Weather Report before Jaco'. At that time (I think 1975?), Jaco just blew onto the scene so hard that he kind of erased the guys like Alphonso from our radar. We were still listening to Rainey, Louis Johnson, Stanley, etc., who all had their own thing that was very different from Jaco. At the time (again, unfairly) we all thought Alphonso was kind of a 'not as good Jaco'.

whats funny is that alphonso could blow.he takes some killer solos on the cobham/duke band performance from montreux. he just wasnt playing any bebop tinged solos like jaco (well, jaco wasnt really either unless he was in the studio)

playing fretless in 76 in tune. weird ass tone though once he kicks in the b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

 

[KJung]

whats funny is that alphonso could blow.he takes some killer solos on the cobham/duke band performance from montreux. he just wasnt playing any bebop tinged solos like jaco (well, jaco wasnt really either unless he was in the studio)

playing fretless in 76 in tune. weird ass tone though once he kicks in the b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

+1 AJ is a beautiful player. Back in the day, we didn't care so much about the soloing. We were totally digging Jaco's groove though. It just felt and sounded different than everyone else. IMO it still does today. Unique tone, unique groove.

 

[Altitude]

Scofield looks like James Taylor in 1972!

I was going to go with John Cleese circa "Fawlty Towers".

(well, jaco wasnt really either unless he was in the studio)

They were still bebop-tinged solos when he played them live, he just already knew what the notes were going to be!

 

[jerry]

One of the best ways IMO to hear the full breadth of Weather Report, and also to put all the amazing bassists that played with that band in context is to check out that 'Live and Unreleased' double CD. Nice cross-section of live performances, and I believe all the bassists are covered (Edit: I think 'Forecast Tomorrow' goes all the way back to Mirislov, the 'Live and Unreleased' starts with Alphonso through Victor Bailey).

My only small problem with that CD was that it jumped around a bit and was not in chronological order.
Mysterious Traveler is also my favorite WR album as well, great use of a studio on a jazz record. Back then when other kids would point out how great The Dark Side Of The Moon sounded on a stereo, I would put on Mysterious Traveler.

 

[Brad Johnson]

My only small problem with that CD was that it jumped around a bit and was not in chronological order.
Mysterious Traveler is also my favorite WR album as well, great use of a studio on a jazz record. Back then when other kids would point out how great The Dark Side Of The Moon sounded on a stereo, I would put on Mysterious Traveler.

Crank the volume and turn the lights down... that LP took me to another place.


For recording quality, ECM records (Keith Jarrett, etc.) always made me feel like I was "there".

 

[Vetchking]

[email protected] Here:

Love, Alphonzo Johnson. 1st Time I heard him I was in my 1st year of Jazz school. Youngstown State/ North Texas.

Woody Herman band.

He and drummer Joe La Barbera drove the whole thundering heard. And I do mean drove the whole 19 piece big band.

Followed his career. Some of my favorite Weather report is Alphonzo. Period. Great Player. I'd love his comments on the new amp. If any body knows him send him My way......... I'd love to meet him......... Have a Great One.......... Later