Top 5 J.J. Johnson Licks

[@TheloniousMusk]

excellent, might have to go and find myself a trombone after a 36 year break. Always loved JJ...

[@zerohero3520]

I also had a break for several years, ist's not that easy to get back.

[@danielcarlheister680]

Hey Shawn thanks for sharing. Can't go wrong with J.J. I have several of his solos transcribed and have integrated some ideas into my vocabulary. On many occasions I will be listening to other players and I hear a J.J. lick and wonder if they have studied J.J.'s solos. I have the "Quintergy" CD and it is one of my favorite. I had the priviledge of meeting him in 1992 at a jazz festival. Totally changed my world musically. He is certainly an icon. Again, thanks for sharing.

[@jazzbonept]

Yeah Shawn, great selections! I learned a few of these because of Prof Dease’s lessons and actually hasn’t heard about the last solo. That Yesterday’s solo is timeless 😎 Also, JJ is THE definitive bebop trombonist (who got it from the source), so not sure who says JJ doesn’t play bebop!

[@BlackSpock135]

His bebops are melody, I love his solos and compositions

[@williammurphy8227]

Nutville from the Horace Silver Cape Verde Blues is my favorite

[@cjm7042]

This is a great video, thanks for uploading. Great to see some trombone content online like this. I was in a masterclass with Michael Dease a couple of days ago and he pulled that Misterioso lick out - he spoke greatly about taking licks from JJ

[@ShawnBellMusic]

He teaches at the same school where my wife did her doctorate, and I was fortunate to get to know him a little for the several years I live in East Lansing. He is a true student of the music. You can hear that in his playing, but just as much when you talk to him about music. Have you heard him play trumpet?

[@yamabolero972]

ありがとう I love J.J Johnson🎉

[@paulhegarty8380]

Just getting into JJ Johnson. This is a great video, thank you.

[@jorymil]

Zero overlap between you and me! Goes to show how much great music JJ made. My faves: "Laura" from J.J. In Person "Blue Bossa" from We'll Be Together Again "Misty" from Standards: Live at the Village Vanguard "Walkin'" from Walkin' (Miles Davis All-Stars) "Amazing Grace" from Tangence I actually like the late JJ stuff the best: it's as though he was composing on the spot.

[@ShawnBellMusic]

Those are great ones as well! So hard to choose just a few from such a large body of work. I agree about the later stuff. I really love his playing on the other Village Vanguard album "Quintergy" in addition to "Standards".

[@alsamegulin1969]

Don't forget about Curtis Fuller, he came around later but he is up there with JJ Johnson

[@ShawnBellMusic]

100% agree! I am hoping to do an episode similar to this one covering some Curtis's great solos. Hopefully I can put it all together for this summer.

[@Uptownwindandbrass]

This is great! I have learnt a lot watching it once...I am definitely going to back over it a number of times and try to get those licks down. Thank you!

[@ShawnBellMusic]

Glad to hear it is helpful!

[@HedonismBot2911]

Great video! Great choice of licks, too. I would've loved to see something from A Touch of Satin, though - definitely my favourite JJ Album

[@los38]

The first video i watched of you your sound is great and i really like these licks u mentioned

[@ShawnBellMusic]

Thanks for the kind words! Hopefully I captured some of JJ's sound.

[@williamraleigh3172]

Your trill is amazing.

[@ShawnBellMusic]

Thanks for the kind words and checking out the channel!

[@FederacionFunk]

excelent bro, its also a great exercise for bass players

[@CharlesAustin]

Awesome reveal !!

[@franciscodeassis283]

Great!!! Thanks!!

[@LisaLizTrombone]

Great video idea! 💡

[@maxweber4745]

Great Video! Great Job! Thanks for sharing!!!!:)🔥👌

[@Iam_bojoope]

I love jj Johnson

[@videotime706]

Speaking of Michael Dease and playing that blues lick fast: check out about 1:35 into "Grove's Groove" from Dease's album "Making Decisions"!

[@ShawnBellMusic]

Great get! I love that about his playing. You can hear the whole Jazz trombone(and other instruments) tradition in everything he plays.

[@zerohero3520]

Top player, wow!

[@benjaminhill5492]

Great video!

[@BernhardMichaelPlos]

great video and great playing!

[@frederickkimble4065]

Great .

[@markjohnson3413]

Glad I found your channel

[@gop4usa12]

It takes some seriously tight lips to plays some of those notes. The best I ever did was the D over the middle C.

[@jorymil]

You'll get there if you stick with it. J.J. doesn't often go above high D, which is pretty attainable, even for a high school student.

[@nealhazel3983]

Wonderful video and playing, Shawn. Completely agree with you re JJ - and still in awe of how he could be so beautifully melodic while still conforming to whatever musical style in which he was playing. I'm sure we all have our favourite JJ solos and licks. In terms of 'melody' the solo that never fails to get to me emotionally is on My Funny Valentine from Live at the Opera House (the most beautiful, melancholic solo). But I still don't really understand how he is so evocative in one particular lick - it's between 2.10 and 2.20 on this recording: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoKXYmt9ZrqNjLc I wondered if you could please help explain, what is it about this combination of notes, particularly the ones that he stresses, that makes it so evocative?

[@ShawnBellMusic]

Hey Neal, I think one of the thing that draws our ear to a phrase like that is how he builds a melody through that part of the harmony. I never realized it, but they play the tune in f minor. I think it is most commonly played in C minor by most horn players. The chords in that section of the tune are F-, F-maj, F-7, F-6. This is a pretty common chord progression that gives some motion to a section that would otherwise just be in F minor as thr chords subtly change colors. Since JJ's line starts on the root, he just moves that note in the line down through those chords so the bottom note of his melody is an F, then an E, then Eb, then D. This melodic and harmonic gesture is one that our ears have likely become familiar with from other tunes. The monk tune in walked bud comes to mind, but there are ton of other ones from the jazz world and beyond. Even if we don't actively make the connection that "this sounds like my funny valentine", we still probably recognize this musical gesture as something we have heard before. This allows us to connect it to other songs, settings, or feelings we have had while listening to music that draws from a similar melodic or harmonic palette.

[@ThisOldHorn]

I always copied JJ's solo from "Laura" which he did up tempo and went straight up to the C in the line.

[@Slushpup2]

I’ve been working on “Viscosity”, off and on, for quite a few years. Have you ever transcribed this?

[@ShawnBellMusic]

I transcribed the melody and changes years ago and was playing it on some gigs at that time, but I never did JJ's solo. I always use "Coffee Pot" from that same album as my student's first introduction to listening to JJ. It is too hard for most of them to transcribe when we listen to it, but his great cleanliness and clarity at that fast tempo gets them engaged with his playing.

[@possiblyrupert2844]

Hey shawn great video what mic are you using? im looking to buy a mic for my trombone and trumpet

[@ShawnBellMusic]

Hey Rupert this is a cascade fathead. It is an entry level ribbon mic. I generally like it especially for the price; however, it sometimes is a little thick in the low mids. I am considering trying a SE electronics VR 1. I have heard some examples of them that sound a little more balanced but still with the "ribbon type sound". I should also note that I am using a focusrite clarett audio interface. The only reason I mention this is, because I noticed a not insignificant improvement in quality when I upgrade from the focusrite scarlet interface I started with. The scarlet line is great for the for the price, and I was honestly surprised by how much difference I heard when i switched. I hope that info helps!

[@possiblyrupert2844]

@@ShawnBellMusic yeah this helps heaps thanks for the advice

[@naf_alseT]

I listened to your first interpretation ~8 times and the way you play it (which sounds incredible) doesn’t match the chart. I’m referring to the transition between the 2nd and 3rd measures.

[@trickysam04]

Hey Shawn! Is that a 42 or a 36?

[@ShawnBellMusic]

@@trickysam04 that is a 36.

[@trickysam04]

@@ShawnBellMusic good tone.

[@grotewobbo]

Is it worth learning to play trombone in C? I switched playing trumpet Bb to trombone in Bb and I think the notes reads a lot easier on the score as well as the higher notes on the C score are so high above. I think it's just silly and the entire world should use to play and read trombone in Bb. Or am I the one that is silly?

[@ShawnBellMusic]

This is great question. I think it all has to do with what part of the trombone tradition you come from. If you are someone who plays mostly with an orchestra, you would probably prefer to see all that upper register stuff in tenor clef, but if you mostly play in big bands, you would probably prefer to just read all the ledger lines. A lot of the bands I play with now, including my own, just use non-transposed treble clef parts. All the players do their needed transpositions and make it happen. To more directly address your question, I would prefer all instruments to play non transposed parts and read across bass and treble clef. This way Everyone sees the notes where they actually are on the piano and thus can understand where they fit into the arrangement accordingly.

[@grotewobbo]

@@ShawnBellMusic The trumpet valve combinations match the trombone slide positions exactly. So that's why I didn't learn to read it in C I guess when I switched to trombone. I mean the notes you play with position 6 and 7 are only used for 2 notes. On trumpet you use the combination of 1+3 and 1+2+3 also only for those 2 notes. Every note on a trumpet you play with 1+2 you play it on the trombone with position 4. Etc etc. But thanks for your answer!

[@ScratchySlide]

​@@grotewobboWe don't use 6th and 7th positions for only two notes. We use alternate positions whenever we can and sometimes those alternate positions are right at the end of the slide. Whoever told you that has clearly never been anywhere near a trombone.

[@grotewobbo]

@@ScratchySlide I know that, I was just making the point that if you play Bb trumpet low D and low C#, thats basically the only 2 notes you use pistons 1+3 and 1+2+3 for on a trumpet. And they correspond with 6th and 7th position for trombone for low D and C# as well if you read trombone in Bb.

[@mustafa1name]

Playing "in C" is just reality, as opposed to playing a Bb and PRETENDING it's C. I suppose what you really mean is, playing in treble clef and transposing everything down 9 tones from C to Bb. That would place more of the notes in or near the stave (compared to bass clef). In a UK brass band, tenor trombones do that, in fact every instrument plays transposed treble clef, except bass trombone (concert pitch, bass clef) - imagine, tubas in treble clef! A related question is: why don't alto trombones transpose from Eb, like alto saxophones? Playing at concert pitch means all the positions are different from tenor - surely this should be frowned upon and tutted at, petulantly?

[@chetruflowmaster]

When you make the comment that JJ does not play changes he plays melodies, you are actually saying that his solos are so great until they sound like a melody. As a matter of the fact go listen to the trombone Master Jay Jay Johnson and Nat Adderley he is going to give you all the Bebop you want and need. I think the whole intent of playing music is to be melodic. JJ was a true master of jazz trombone playing.

[@ShawnBellMusic]

Hey Kevin thanks for the comment. I think you are referring to me say that I have heard other trombonists complain that JJ just plays melodies and doesn't "play bebop". I actually don't agree with this criticism. I think the reason JJ's playing is so influential is because he is able to make the complexities of the bebop language sound incredibly melodic. I couldn't agree with you more that playing melodies is in many cases the end goal for us as musicians.

[@PumilateVFX]

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