The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Vols. 1 & 2

The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson
The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson
	Volume 1
Compilation album by J. J. Johnson
Released	1956
Recorded	June 22, 1953; September 24, 1954; June 6, 1955;
Studio	WOR Studios, NYC; Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ;
Genre	Jazz
Length	40:13
Label	Blue Note; BLP 1505 (Vol. 1); BLP 1506 (Vol. 2)
Producer	Alfred Lion; Michael Cuscuna (Reissue)
J. J. Johnson chronology
The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson
	Volume 2

The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Vols. 1 & 2 are a pair of separate but related compilation albums by American jazz trombonist J. J. Johnson, recorded over three sessions between 1953 and 1955 and released on Blue Note in 1956.

Background

Recording and production

Johnson recorded three session for Blue Note—one with Doug Hawkins in New York City on June 22, 1953 and two with Rudy Van Gelder at his home studio in Hackensack, New Jersey on September 24, 1954 and June 6, 1955—resulting in three ten-inches: Jay Jay Johnson with Clifford Brown (1953), The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 2 (1954), and The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 3 (1955), respectively.

Personal life

At the time of the 1953 recording session, Johnson had withdrawn from full-time playing to work as a blueprint inspector.^[1]^[2]

Release history

After 10"s lost the format war, Blue Note began reissuing its Modern Jazz Series on 12"s. The three sessions were subsequently recompiled across The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 1 (BLP 1505) and The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 2 (BLP 1506).^[3]

The two volumes were recompiled for their CD reissue, restoring the track listing of the original 10"s, placing Vol. 1 (BLP 2028) on Volume 1, and Vol. 2 (BLP 5057) and Vol. 3 (BLP 5070) on Volume 2.^[4]^[5]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic (Vol. 1)	^[6]
AllMusic (Vol. 2)	^[7]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz (Vol. 1)	^[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz (Vol. 2)	^[2]

The AllMusic review of Volume 1 by Scott Yanow states, "Although Johnson has a couple of features, Clifford Brown largely steals the show".^[6]

The AllMusic review of Volume 2 by Stephen Cook states, "J.J. Johnson's Blue Note sides from the first half of the '50s represent some of the best bop of the day. And for listeners interested in just picking up one of the trombonist's early dates, this second installment of his Eminent J.J. Johnson series is the one to get ... a bop classic."^[7]

The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded both volumes four-out-of-four stars, and the first volume a "Crown", calling calling it "one of the central documents of post-war jazz."^[2]

Track listing

The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 1

Side 1
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Date recorded	Length
1.	"Turnpike"	J. J. Johnson	June 22, 1953	4:15
2.	"Lover Man"	Jimmy Davis Ram Ramirez James Sherman	June 22, 1953	3:50
3.	"Get Happy"	Harold Arlen Ted Koehler	June 22, 1953	4:47
4.	"Sketch 1"	John Lewis	June 22, 1953	4:21
5.	"Capri"	Gigi Gryce	June 22, 1953	3:37

Side 2
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Date recorded	Length
1.	"Jay"	J. J. Johnson	September 24, 1954	3:42
2.	"Old Devil Moon"	E. Y. Harburg Burton Lane	September 24, 1954	3:52
3.	"It's You or No One"	Sammy Cahn Jule Styne	September 24, 1954	4:06
4.	"Too Marvelous for Words"	Johnny Mercer Richard A. Whiting	September 24, 1954	3:35
5.	"Coffee Pot"	J. J. Johnson	September 24, 1954	4:08

The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 2

Side 1
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Date recorded	Length
1.	""Daylie" Double"		June 6, 1955	4:27
2.	"Pennies from Heaven"	Johnny Burke Arthur Johnston	June 6, 1955	4:18
3.	"You're Mine, You"	Johnny Green Edward Heyman	June 6, 1955	3:07
4.	"Turnpike" (alt. take)		June 22, 1953	4:10
5.	"It Could Happen to You"	Johnny Burke Jimmy Van Heusen	June 22, 1953	4:42

Side 2
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Date recorded	Length
1.	"Groovin'"		June 6, 1955	4:40
2.	"Portrait of Jennie"	Gordon Burdge J. Russel Robinson	June 6, 1955	2:56
3.	"Viscosity"		June 6, 1955	4:21
4.	"Time After Time"	Cahn Styne	September 24, 1954	4:13
5.	"Capri" (alt. take)		June 22, 1953	3:47

2001 CD reissues

*The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 1*
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Date recorded	Length
1.	"Capri"	Gigi Gryce	June 22, 1953	3:37
2.	"Lover Man"	Jimmy Davis Ram Ramirez James Sherman	June 22, 1953	3:50
3.	"Turnpike"	J. J. Johnson	June 22, 1953	4:15
4.	"Sketch 1"	John Lewis	June 22, 1953	4:21
5.	"It Could Happen to You"	Johnny Burke Jimmy Van Heusen	June 22, 1953	4:42
6.	"Get Happy"	Harold Arlen Ted Koehler	June 22, 1953	4:47
7.	"Capri" (alternate take)	Gryce	June 22, 1953	3:47
8.	"Turnpike" (alternate take)	Johnson	June 22, 1953	4:10
9.	"Get Happy" (alternate take)	Arlen Koehler	June 22, 1953	4:11

*The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 2*
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Date recorded	Length
1.	"Too Marvelous for Words"	Mercer Whiting	September 24, 1954	3:35
2.	"Jay"		September 24, 1954	3:42
3.	"Old Devil Moon""	Harburg Lane	September 24, 1954	3:52
4.	"It's You or No One"	Cahn Styne	September 24, 1954	4:06
5.	"Time After Time"	Cahn Styne	September 24, 1954	4:13
6.	"Coffee Pot"		September 24, 1954	4:08
7.	"Pennies from Heaven"	Burke Johnston	June 6, 1955	4:18
8.	"Viscosity"		June 6, 1955	4:21
9.	"You're Mine, You"	Green Heyman	June 6, 1955	3:07
10.	""Daylie" Double"		June 6, 1955	4:27
11.	"Groovin'"		June 6, 1955	4:40
12.	"Portrait of Jennie"	Burdge Robinson	June 6, 1955	2:56
13.	"Pennies from Heaven" (alternate take)		June 6, 1955	4:25
14.	"Viscosity" (alternate take)		June 6, 1955	4:21
15.	""Daylie" Double" (alternate take)		June 6, 1955	4:38

The 1989/1997 Blue Note CD re-issues include the same content as the 2001 CD, but the tracks are arranged chronologically by recording date.

Personnel

Musicians

June 22, 1953

J.J. Johnson – trombone
Clifford Brown – trumpet (except "It Could Happen to You")
Jimmy Heath – tenor and baritone saxophones (except "It Could Happen to You")
John Lewis – piano
Percy Heath – bass
Kenny Clarke – drums

September 24, 1954

J.J. Johnson – trombone
Wynton Kelly – piano
Charles Mingus – bass
Kenny Clarke – drums
Sabu Martinez – congas (except "It's You or No One" and "Time After Time")

June 6, 1955

J.J. Johnson – trombone
Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone
Horace Silver – piano
Paul Chambers – bass
Kenny Clarke – drums

Technical personnel

Original

Alfred Lion – producer
Doug Hawkins (1953) – recording engineer
Rudy Van Gelder (1954, 1955) – recording engineer
John Hermansader – cover design
Francis Wolff – photography
Bob Blumenthal – liner notes

Reissue

Michael Cuscuna – reissue producer
Gordon H Jee – creative director
Rudy Van Gelder – 2001 remaster
Ron McMaster – digital transfers

References

^ Blumenthal, Bob (2001). The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 1 (insert). J.J. Johnson. New York: Blue Note. 32143-2.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). New York: Penguin. p. 786. ISBN 0-14-103401-7.
^ Cook, Richard (2004) Blue Note Records: the biography Justin, Charles & Co., pp. 241–244.
^ "The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Vol. 1" AllMusic. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
^ Blue Note Records discography accessed September 28, 2010
^ ^a ^b Yanow, S. AllMusic Review accessed September 14, 2010
^ ^a ^b Cook, S. AllMusic Review accessed September 14, 2010

[blumenthal-1] Blumenthal, Bob (2001). The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 1 (insert). J.J. Johnson. New York: Blue Note. 32143-2.

[penguin-2] Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). New York: Penguin. p. 786. ISBN 0-14-103401-7.

[3] Cook, Richard (2004) Blue Note Records: the biography Justin, Charles & Co., pp. 241–244.

[4] "The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Vol. 1" AllMusic. Retrieved 6 May 2013.

[5] Blue Note Records discography accessed September 28, 2010

[AllMusic1-6] Yanow, S. AllMusic Review accessed September 14, 2010

[AllMusic2-7] Cook, S. AllMusic Review accessed September 14, 2010

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