Norman Johnson

Wilko Johnson was an English guitarist, singer, songwriter and occasional actor. He was a member of the pub rock/rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood in the 1970s. Johnson was known for his distinctive guitar playing style which he achieved by not using a guitar pick but playing fingerstyle guitar. This enabled him to play rhythm guitar and riffs or solos at the same time creating a highly percussive guitar sound. Johnson and Dr. Feelgood were an influence on the English punk movement. Paul Weller said of Johnson: "Wilko may not be as famous as some other guitarists, but he's right up there. And there are a lot of people who'll say the same. I can hear Wilko in lots of places. It's some legacy." Johnson died on 21 November 2022, at his home in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, at the age of 75.

Whatever Norman Granz was using as a thinking man's energy drink in 1957 when he formulated this Jazz at the Philharmonic all-star band should be bottled and sold to the world. This stroke of genius was manifested in pairing Stan Getz with J.J. Johnson, backing them up with pianist Oscar Peterson's legendary trio including bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis, and adding MJQ drummer Connie Kay to this truly classic jazz sextet. Two JATP concerts done in Chicago (in stereo) and Los Angeles (in mono) comprise this expanded edition CD, with some stretched-out jams, repeat tunes, and extra material. Originally tabbed as an unusual teaming of tenor sax and trombone, the two principals sound well-suited, very compatible in their dynamic levels, and especially congruous when they play together, while Peterson is absolutely supportive so that these two giants of jazz can cut loose…

Norman Simmons - The Art of Norman Simmons (2000) {Savant ‎SCD 2029}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 469 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 172 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 10 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2000 Savant ‎Records | SCD 2029
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Post Bop / Piano

As the accompanist for singers Dakota Staton, Carmen McRae, and Joe Williams, as well as a member of bands led by Johnny Griffin, Roy Eldridge and others, pianist Norman Simmons has spent little of his fifty-plus years as a musician in the spotlight. On the appropriately titled The Art of Norman Simmons, he successfully strikes a balance between putting his own talents front and center and melding them with musicians he respects and admires. The members of his quintet share the common goal of swinging in a relaxed, unhurried manner and no one ever feels compelled to shout to make a point.

This release is of a different and more ambitious kind than other releases of the mid-2010s on the Lyrita revival label. Like the others, it is taken from BBC broadcasts, but in this case, the recording was made in a studio, not live, and the sound quality is much superior. The most unusual feature is the music by the almost-forgotten Granville Bantock, who was as responsible as anyone else for the ongoing popularity of Sibelius in Britain, and who, believe it or not, liked to dress up as the medieval Persian poet Omar Khayyam.