The Magnificent Goldberg Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 Don’t you just love that hat! Plas Johnson was born on 21 July 1931, in Donaldsville, Louisiana. Happy 75th to you, Plas! If there is a jazz musician whose solo work has been heard by more people on this planet than Plas, I can’t imagine who it would be. Two whole generations of kids have grown up watching the Pink Panther, on TV as well as at the films. Plas and his brother Ray, a pianist, formed a combo in New Orleans in 1950 and made a single for the DeLuxe label. Then Plas was off on the road with Texas bluesman Charles Brown, winding up in Los Angeles. Then he joined Roy Milton’s Solid Senders, before being drafted and playing in a military band in California. Following discharge, Plas played in a small band around Monterey. When Ray was discharged from his army service, the two hooked up again and joined Johnny Otis for about a year. By this time, Plas was beginning to get a reputation around the LA recording companies. Initially, he did a bit of work for Capitol, but was called more regularly by the R&B firms – Modern, Specialty and Aladdin – which were making lots of big hits. As a result, he met pianist/organist Ernie Freeman and played on his first album, produced by Jerry Leiber. Plas would be a regular member of Ernie’s recording bands for several years. In 1956, Plas and Ray had joined with drummer George Jenkins to form a band called The Strollers. They recorded three albums and a few singles for Bob Scherman’s Tampa label, all of which has been reissued on CD in Germany – “The best of Plas Johnson” Wolf WBJ021. This is very lively, bluesy, stuff. Over the next few years, Plas cemented his position as a studio regular. He claims to have played the solos on the Coasters’ “Young blood” and “Searchin’”, under orders from the studio to sound like King Curtis! (Well, it DOES sound like King Curtis. ) In this period, he also played with Fats Domino, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, B B King, Jesse Belvin, The Olympics The Platters, Peggy Lee, The Four Preps, T-Bone Walker, Nat “King” Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Earl Grant, Frank Sinatra and Larry Williams, to mention only a few of a partial list that Plas has compiled on his website http://www.plasjohnson.com/index.htm He also made two superb albums for Fantasy with Soul Jazz organist Paul Bryant. “Somethin’s happening” and “Groove time” have never been reissued on CD but are the best albums for hearing Plas in relaxed, extended mode, playing himself. In this period, too, Plas became tenor player of choice for Henry Mancini, first working with him on the music for the “Peter Gunn” TV series. This eventually led to his famous work on the “Pink Panther”. No one can play that elastic, bouncing, stalking, sexy tune the way Plas can. I’m quite sure that Henry, like Ellington, designed that theme around the sound of Plas. Plas’ most extended film music performance was in the Peter Sellers film “The party”, a hilarious film, most of the action taking place at a party in the home of a Hollywood mogul, to which Sellers had been invited by mistake. There isn’t much in the way of scored music in this film; since the action is at a party, the music played by a jazz quartet forms the background to almost all the action. This is played by Plas, though the musicians appearing on screen are actors, miming. So, if you concentrate, you can hear Plas and his band playing for about an hour. Trouble is, I find the film so funny, I can’t concentrate on the music all that often! Plas has continued to record with an amazing range of musicians and singers, including Billy Vaughn, Barbra Streisand, Steely Dan, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Rita Coolidge, Milt Jackson, Wild Bill Davis, Jerry Butler, The Commodores, Jimmy Smith, Marvin Gaye, Barry White, Benny Carter, Sarah Vaughan, Aaron Neville, Lou Rawls, Dr John, Neil Diamond and another endless list. He was on the first LP by The Mothers of Invention; “Freak out”. No one knows how many recordings he has made. All the while this was going on, Plas was recording as a leader. He recorded frequently in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s for Capitol. Around the same period, he also recorded, pseudonymously, as a leader under the name of Johnny Beecher. I have a wonderfully titled 45 of Beecher’s “Jack sax the city”/”Sax Fifth Avenue”, featuring Bert Kendricks on organ. (Must get that out and play it.) But Plas hasn’t really needed to lead his own band. After the early ‘60s, he idn’t record again until he made two good albums for Concord Jazz “The blues” and “Positively” in 1976 and 1977. In 1983, he made his first LP, “LA ‘55”, (CM101) for his own label Carell Music. Since then, he has issued three more albums, on CD: “Hot, blue and saxy” CM102 (1990); “Evening delight” CM103 (1999); and “Christmas in Hollywood” CM104 (2000). And, in 2001, he also led, jointly with Red Holloway, the wonderful session “Keep that groove goin’” for Milestone (MCD9319). Plas’ CDs for Carell Music are available from CDBaby. Plas is always entertaining; always professional; always recognisable, when allowed to solo. If you’re in Southern California tonight, Plas is appearing at Charlie O’s, Valley Glen, with Jackie Kelso, another veteran of Roy Milton’s Solid Senders (who I thought had died, but who has spent the last 10 years with the Basie band). He was also in the Johnny Otis band and I don’t doubt that he and Plas have been hooking up on and off for over fifty years. I reckon that’s going to be some party! If you miss that gig, Plas is doing a jazz cruise around Mexico in October/November. Houston Person will be on board, too – a tenor battle of epic proportions looks possible! Happy birthday Plas! Have a great time tonight! MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 A B-list guy for sure, but this guy can really play. Too bad he hasn't been more widely recognized or appreciated. Some extremely talented people like Mr. Johnson just seem destined to spend their life in the shadows. Who's to say why. Up over and out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 I'll be there tonight. I've heard Plas Johnson live at least 3 dozen times over the years and he's a SOLID jazz player--never really made too many jazz records, but he can really blow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted July 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 I'll be there tonight. I've heard Plas Johnson live at least 3 dozen times over the years and he's a SOLID jazz player--never really made too many jazz records, but he can really blow. Have a good time! MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 A B-list guy for sure... Considering his resume, I'd have to qualify that statement by saying that it depends on who's making the list, and for what reasons. I think it's safe to say that as a 50s-60s LA session player for pop & R&B sessions, he was on the A-list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 A B-list guy for sure... Considering his resume, I'd have to qualify that statement by saying that it depends on who's making the list, and for what reasons. I think it's safe to say that as a 50s-60s LA session player for pop & R&B sessions, he was on the A-list. And the B+/A- list for jazz sessions. The guy could play, and I wish I could see Plas and Houston tear it up together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValerieB Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 I'll be there tonight. I've heard Plas Johnson live at least 3 dozen times over the years and he's a SOLID jazz player--never really made too many jazz records, but he can really blow. i may be there as well. i'm supposed to be meeting dick berk there around 11pm. let's try to say hello! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted July 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 I'll be there tonight. I've heard Plas Johnson live at least 3 dozen times over the years and he's a SOLID jazz player--never really made too many jazz records, but he can really blow. i may be there as well. i'm supposed to be meeting dick berk there around 11pm. let's try to say hello! That's nice MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted July 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 A B-list guy for sure... Considering his resume, I'd have to qualify that statement by saying that it depends on who's making the list, and for what reasons. I think it's safe to say that as a 50s-60s LA session player for pop & R&B sessions, he was on the A-list. And the B+/A- list for jazz sessions. The guy could play, and I wish I could see Plas and Houston tear it up together. So I was reading these posts and thinking; "Well, you'd have people like Hawk and Ben and Prez and Trane and Rollins and Joe H in the tenor A list. And people like Hank and Jug and Illinois and Benny Golson..." and I thought "WTF? what's all this A and B and C and D list business? Aloadabolox. Some people get to you, and that is what it's about. Plas gets to me. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed S Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Is it a bad thing that I don't know who this guy is? Happy birthday anyways! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Is it a bad thing that I don't know who this guy is? You've heard him before, trust me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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