HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Lonnie Johnson

Birth of the Blues: Lonnie Johnson

Lonnie Johnson

Source: Red Hot Jazz (defunct)

 

Born in New Orleans on 8 February 1899, blues guitarist and violinist, Lonnie Johnson, is found on nearly 500 recordings spanning blues, jazz and R&B. He scratched his first track in 1925 for Okeh as the prize of winning a blues contest. That was the same year that Louis Armstrong formed his Hot Five while across the Atlantic Hitler published 'Mein Kampf'. Johnson's first recording is thought to have been 'Won't Don't Blues' with Charles Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs circa 3 Nov 1925 [Lord]. The next day he held his first name session beginning with 'Mr. Johnson's Blues'.

 

'Won't Don't Blues'   Lonnie Johnson w Charles Creath's Jazz-O-Maniacs

Recorded c 3 Nov 1925 in St. Louis MO   Matrix 9427-A   Okeh 8280-B

Trumpet: Creath   Banjo: Pete Patterson   Violin / vocal: Johnson

Composition: Creath

 

'Mr. Johnson's Blues'   Lonnie Johnson w Jessie J. Johnson (piano)

Recorded 4 Nov 1925 in St. Louis MO   Matrix 9435-A   Okeh 8253

Composition: Lonnie Johnson

 

Johnson's busy early career during the twenties included titles with such as James Johnson, Victoria Spivey and Duke Ellington. The Depression years saw gigs with such as Bessie Smith and Roosevelt Sykes among others. As he moved into the forties he transitioned to rhythm and blues. To go by Billboard, Johnson's most successful issues followed World War II per his compositions, 'Pleasing You' (King 4245) and 'Tomorrow Night' (King 4201), at #2 and #1 respectively on the R&B charts in 1948. 'So Tired' (King 4263) wasn't too pooped to reach #9 in 1949. 'Confused' (King 4336) headed directly to #11 in 1950. Despite good reason for these popular titles, upon returning from a tour to England in 1952 Johnson experienced financially difficult times during which he had to take janitorial jobs between gigs until the recording of the album, 'Blues', on 8 March of 1960 revived his career.

 

'Long Black Train'   Lonnie Johnson

Recorded 5 Aug 1930 in St. Louis MO   Okeh 8822

Composition: Lonnie Johnson

 

'The Devil's Woman'   Lonnie Johnson

Recorded 13 Feb 1942 in Chicago   Bluebird B9022

Piano: Blind John Davis   Bass: Andrew Harris

Composition: Lonnie Johnson

 

'Happy New Year Darling'   Lonnie Johnson

Recorded 10 Dec 1947 in Cincinnati OH   Matrix K5312   King 4251

Piano: John Hughes   Bass: Roy Coulter

Composition: Lonnie Johnson

 

'Tomorrow Night'   Lonnie Johnson   #1 Billboard R&B 1948

Recorded 10 Dec 1947 in Cincinnati OH   Matrix K5313-1   King 4201-A

Piano: John Hughes   Bass: Roy Coulter

Composition: Lonnie Johnson

 

'Darlin''   Lonnie Johnson w the Tiny Bradshaw Band

Recorded 26 Oct 1951 in Cincinnati OH   Matrix K9092   King 4503

Tenor sax: Red Prysock   Piano: Jimmy Robinson

Bass: Clarence Mack   Drums: Calvin Shields

Composition: Reckling / Millender

 

'Me and My Crazy Self'   Lonnie Johnson w the Tiny Bradshaw Band

Recorded 26 Oct 1951 in Cincinnati OH   Matrix K9094   King 4510

Tenor sax: Red Prysock   Piano: Jimmy Robinson

Bass: Clarence Mack   Drums: Calvin Shields

Composition: Glover / Mann

 

'Seven Long Days'   Lonnie Johnson w the Tiny Bradshaw Band

Recorded 26 Oct 1951 in Cincinnati OH   Matrix K9095   King 4503

Tenor sax: Red Prysock   Piano: Jimmy Robinson

Bass: Clarence Mack   Drums: Calvin Shields

Composition: Jessie Mae Robinson

 

'Blues'   Album by Lonnie Johnson

Recorded 8 March 1960

Tenor sax: Hal Singer   Piano: Claude Hopkins

Bass: Wendell Marshall   Drums: Bobby Donaldson

All compositions by Lonnie Johnson

 

'Blues & Ballads'   Album by Lonnie Johnson

Recorded 5 April 1960

Guitar: Elmer Snowden   Bass: Wendell Marshall

 

'Another Night to Cry'   Lonnie Johnson

'I Hear the Blues' television broadcast 18 Dec 1963

Composition: Lonnie Johnson

 

'Swingin' the Blues'   Lonnie Johnson

From the album 'Swingin' the Blues'   XTRA 1037   1966

Composition: Lonnie Johnson

 

In 1969 Johnson was hit by a car while walking down a sidewalk in Toronto, hastening his death the next year on June 16, 1970.

 

Sources & References for Lonnie Johnson:

Bill Dahl (All Music)

Last.fm

James M. Manheim (Musician Guide)

Anita Pravits (chronology)

VF History (notes)

Wikipedia

Billboard Charts: Music VF

Compositions:

Music Brainz   Music VF   SHS

Johnson in Film / Television: IMDb

Recordings by Johnson: Albums (herein mentioned):

Blues & Ballads (Bluesville / 1960)

Blues by Lonnie Johnson (Bluesville BVLP1007 / 1960)

Swingin' the Blues (XTRA 1037 / 1966)

Recordings by Johnson: Catalogs:

45 Cat   45 Worlds   Discogs

Hung Medien   RYM   Stefan Wirz

Recordings by Johnson: Sessions:

Scott Alexander (1925-42)

Scott Alexander (w Blind Willie Dunn 1928-29)

Scott Alexander (w Blind Willie Dunn & the Gin Bottle Four 1929)

DAHR (1925-49)

Honkingduck

Tom Lord: leading 108 of 176 sessions 1925-67

Brian Rust (Jazz and Ragtime Records (1897-1942) / Mainspring Press / 2002)

Authority Search: VIAF   World Cat

 

Classical         Main Menu        Modern Recording

 

 

About         Contact         Privacy

hmrproject (at) aol (dot) com