J. J. In Person! - The J.J. Johnson Quintet (1958) (1LP Vinyl, VG+/VG+)

Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)

Vinyl has "haze" on the surface on both sides which does not have any effect on play.

J. J. In Person! by The J.J. Johnson Quintet.

Captured live and pressed with all the immediacy that phrase implies, "J. J. In Person!" finds trombonist J.J. Johnson leading his quintet through a concert set that puts his warm, agile horn front and center. The recording carries the energy of a room, the give and take of players listening hard to one another, and the sense that anything might happen between the downbeat and the final chorus.

Johnson surrounds himself with a formidable band. Nat Adderley brings his bright, singing cornet to the front line, giving the group two distinctive brass voices to trade and blend. Behind them, Tommy Flanagan supplies piano of endless taste and swing, while Wilbur Little on double bass and Albert Heath on drums lock into a rhythm section that pushes and breathes with the soloists. It is a lineup built for both fire and finesse.

The program moves easily between the classic and the freshly minted. Side A opens with "Tune Up" before easing into the ballad "Laura," then digs into the blues on "Walkin'" and turns the changes of "What Is This Thing Called Love?" over and over. Side B leans into the modern with Thelonious Monk's "Misterioso," softens for "My Old Flame," and closes with Charlie Parker's "Now's The Time," a fitting nod to the bebop foundation that runs beneath so much of Johnson's playing.

Across these seven performances you hear a band that treats standards and originals with the same searching curiosity. The ballads give Johnson room to reveal the vocal quality of his tone, while the up tempo numbers let the whole quintet stretch out and trade ideas. Charles Edward Smith's liner notes round out the package, setting the scene for the music inside, and Tom Yee's cover photography completes the presentation.

This copy sports the red and black label bearing six "eye" logos, a hallmark of the era that collectors know well. In the runout, the stamped matrix codes "XLP43295-1A" and "XLP43296-1A" identify the sides, with the remaining characters inscribed by hand, small marks of the process that carried this concert from the stage to the groove.

For anyone drawn to Johnson's singular voice on the trombone, or to the sound of a great small group caught in the act, this is a record that rewards close listening. The concert setting, the strength of the personnel, and the smart choice of material combine into a document that feels alive from the first note to the last.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. Tune Up
A2. Laura
A3. Walkin'
A4. What Is This Thing Called Love?
B1. Misterioso
B2. My Old Flame
B3. Now's The Time

Credits:
Nat Adderley - Cornet
Wilbur Little - Double Bass
Albert Heath - Drums
Charles Edward Smith - Liner Notes
Tom Yee - Photography By [Cover]
Tommy Flanagan - Piano
J.J. Johnson - Trombone

Notes:
Recorded in Concert.

Red and Black Label with six "eye" logos.

Matrix runout:
Stamped: "XLP43295-1A" and "XLP43296-1A"
All other characters are inscribed by hand.

Artist: The J.J. Johnson Quintet

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Columbia

Catalog Number: CL 1161

Release Year: 1958

Country: United States