[Dixielandjazz] J. J. Johnson

[Steve Barbone]

"Jim Kashishian" <jim at kashprod.com> wrote
 
> Steve wrote:  And then there was J.J. Johnson who played his slide trombone
> as if it were a valve trombone.
> 
> ??

Hi Jim & List mates:

>From one of his biographies.

"Considered by many to be the finest jazz trombonist of all time, J.J.
Johnson somehow transferred the innovations of Charlie Parker and Dizzy
Gillespie to his more awkward instrument, playing with such speed and
deceptive ease that at one time some listeners assumed he was playing valve
(rather than slide) trombone!"

In several interviews about his sounding like he was playing a valve
trombone, he always denied that was his intention. However, when he first
started playing bebop, many of my musician friends, including a well know
OKOM slide trombone player assumed it was indeed a valve instrument.

Cheers,
Steve