Howard Johnson-Jazz in the Parks September 26, 2007

JAZZ IN THE PARKS
An evening with Howard Johnson: A Life in Music
7:00 pm
HANSBOROUGH RECREATION CENTER
35 W. 134th Street
FREE

For more information, contact Christina Dookwah at
212-408-0296

A guest of the Harlem Speaks series in early 2006, Howard Johnson will now do what he does best: play a variety of instruments (tuba, baritone sax, among others) with sympathetic band mates with soul and vigor. Don’t miss this free performance!

Born August 7, 1941, in Montgomery, Alabama, Johnson moved to Massillon, Ohio in 1944 with his family. He taught himself baritone saxophone in 1954, and learned tuba a year later. Johnson plays other reeds and trumpet as well. He recently became a resident of Harlem, but first moved to New York in 1963, where he worked with Charles Mingus (1964-1966 and 1972-1974), Hank Crawford (1965-1967), Archie Shepp (1966-1968), and Buddy Rich (1966).

He started a 20-year association with Gil Evans in 1966. In the late-’60s and early part of the’70s he worked in Los Angeles with Quincy Jones, Gerald Wilson and Oliver Nelson. From 1975-1980 he worked in the Saturday Night Live band, serving as bandleader for the last two years.

In the late ’70s, he formed a tuba band called Gravity that has recorded two CDs on the Verve label. Johnson has also recorded with Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, Jimmy Heath, Bob Moses, George Gruntz’s Concert Jazz Band, and frequently with Evans' orchestra, among others.

Official Website: http://www.jazzmuseuminharlem.org/events.html#091207