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Bill Johnson

William Manuel "Bill" Johnson (died December 3, 1972) was an American jazz musician who played banjo and double bass; he is considered the father of the "slap" style of double bass playing.

In New Orleans, he played at Lulu White's legendary house of prostitution, with the Eagle Band, and with the Excelsior Brass Band. Johnson claimed to have started "slapping" the strings of his bass (a more vigorous technique than the classical pizzicato) after he accidentally broke his bow on the road with his band in northern Louisiana in the early 1910s. Other New Orleans string bass players picked up this style, and spread it across the country with the spread of New Orleans Jazz.

Johnson was founder and manager of the first jazz band to leave New Orleans and tour widely in the 1910s, The Original Creole Orchestra. They participated in vaudeville skits centered around the "Uncle" character and the "boys," performing in the Midwest, Northwest, and Canada. He brought the Creole Band to Chicago in 1915. Johnson and his band played an instrumental role in establishing Royal Gardens (later known as Lincoln Gardens), as one of the great jazz clubs in Chicago; a location they were residence at beginning in 1918.

In Chicago during the early 1920s he assembled King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, considered perhaps the best of the early ensemble style jazz bands. He taught younger Chicago musicians (including Milt Hinton) his "slap" style of string bass playing. He made many recordings in Chicago in the late 1920s. He notably says "Oh play that thing" into the horn during the recording of "Dippermouth Blues" in 1923 with King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band.

Johnson continued to play with various jazz bands and orchestras into the early 1950s, sometimes working under other names. He was also involved in the import/export business along the Mexico–United States border.

Johnson's younger half-brother Ollie "Dink" Johnson was also a noted musician. Jelly Roll Morton's common law wife from 1917 to 1922, Anita Gonzales (Bessie Johnson), was Bill Johnson's half-sister.

Bill Johnson died in New Braunfels, Texas in 1972.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 10, 1872 (Talladega), Died December 3, 1972 (New Braunfels)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1941

Roles Represented in DAHR: string bass, banjo, trumpet, leader

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 51 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gennett 11386 10-in. 4/6/1923 I'm going away to wear you off my mind King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, banjo  
Gennett 11387 10-in. 4/6/1923 Chimes blues King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, banjo  
Gennett 11388 10-in. 4/6/1923 Weather bird rag King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, banjo  
Gennett 11389 10-in. 4/6/1923 Sugar foot stomp King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, banjo  
Gennett 11390 10-in. 4/6/1923 Froggie Moore King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, banjo  
Gennett 11391 10-in. 4/6/1923 Snake rag King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, banjo  
Gennett 14065 10-in. 7/18/1928 Endurance stomp Blythe's Blue Boys Jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14066 10-in. 7/18/1928 Tuxedo stomp State Street Ramblers [Blythe's Blue Boys] Jazz/dance ensemble, with incidental singing instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14067 10-in. 7/18/1928 Brown skin mama Blythe's Blue Boys Jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14068 10-in. 7/18/1928 Road house blues Marie Grinter ; State Street Ramblers [Blythe's Blue Boys] Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14069 10-in. 7/18/1928 St. Louis man Marie Grinter ; State Street Ramblers [Blythe's Blue Boys] Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14070 10-in. 7/18/1928 West Virginia blues Marie Grinter ; State Street Ramblers [Blythe's Blue Boys] Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14071 10-in. 7/18/1928 Do right blues Marie Grinter ; State Street Ramblers [Blythe's Blue Boys] Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14072 10-in. 7/18/1928 St. Louis nightmare State Street Ramblers [Blythe's Blue Boys] Jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14073 10-in. 7/18/1928 Yearning and blue State Street Ramblers [Blythe's Blue Boys] Jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14074 10-in. 7/19/1928 Tell me, cutie Blythe's Blue Boys Jazz/dance ensemble, with incidental singing instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14075 10-in. 7/19/1928 Someday you'll know Blythe's Blue Boys Jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14076 10-in. 7/19/1928 Five o'clock stomp State Street Ramblers [Blythe's Blue Boys] Jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14077 10-in. 7/19/1928 Barrel house baker State Street Ramblers [Blythe's Blue Boys] Jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14078 10-in. 7/19/1928 Handful of keys State Street Ramblers [Blythe's Blue Boys] Jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14079 10-in. 7/19/1928 Searching for a flat State Street Ramblers [Blythe's Blue Boys] Jazz/dance ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Gennett 14080 10-in. 7/19/1928 How would you like to be me Blythe's Blue Boys Jazz/dance ensemble, with incidental singing instrumentalist, string bass  
Decca 68920 10-in. 4/3/1941 The goon drag Sam Price and his Texas Bluesicians instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 68921 10-in. 4/3/1941 Things 'bout coming my way Sam Price and his Texas Bluesicians instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 68922 10-in. 4/3/1941 Lead me Daddy straight to the bar Sam Price and his Texas Bluesicians instrumentalist, trumpet  
(Results 26-50 of 51 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Johnson, Bill," accessed November 9, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/110790.

Johnson, Bill. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 9, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/110790.

"Johnson, Bill." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/110790

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