[Dixielandjazz] Noon Johnson

[TBW504 at aol.com]

JOHNSON, Edward "Noon"      Tuba; bazooka; guitar
1903*, Aug 24: New  Orleans        1969, Sep 18
As a  youth he played on the streets of Storyville for coins, leading a 
skiffle trio,  playing home-made instruments of his own devising, although at 
fourteen he could  play banjo and harmonica. A device he called his "funnel 
phone" made from brass  bed tubes, a gramophone horn and a brass plumbing 
union for a mouthpiece led to  him being taken to a convention in Biloxi in 
1924. He was heard by Bob Burns who  gave him national exposure on the Bob 
Burns radio show. By 1929 he was famous  having renamed his device a "bazooka." 
His clowning led to some success on  talent shows and a group he led got 
engagements as far afield as Memphis. He had  guitar lessons from Black Walter 
Nelson, and also eventually mastered the tuba  and tenor banjo - Sidney 
Brown helped him on tuba and Gooson Phillips gave him  banjo lessons. He paraded 
on tuba with the Young Tuxedo Brass Band, as well as  Kid Howard's Brass 
Band, and Abby Williams. Occasionally he replaced Lawrence  Marrero with 
George Lewis. He was on one of the first Preservation Hall Tours to  Cleveland in 
1961. Recorded vocals with Bunk Johnson's Band, 1945: including  George 
Lewis, Jim Robinson (on some takes) Lawrence Marrero, Ricard Alexis, Baby  
Dodds. Also recorded: Danny Barker's Congo Square Marching Band, 1969 on  
bazooka. Noon Johnson was the brother-in-law of Jeanette Lewis, George's wife.  
His son, Ronald Johnson (born 1945-died 1992, Jan 12), played guitar and 
worked  with Andrew Hall's Society Jazz Band. He was previously with Professor 
Longhair  and Fats Domino.
*Bill Russell in Preservation Hall Portraits gives his date  of birth as 
1901.
 
Brian Wood - "The Song for Me"