Alphonso Johnson (born February 2, 1951) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), keyboard bass (synth bass) or a low br ...

active since the early 1970s. Johnson was a member of the

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...

group

Weather Report Weather Report was an American jazz fusion band active from 1970 to 1986. The band was founded in 1970 by Austrian keyboardist Joe Zawinul, American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš, American drummer Alphonse Mouzon a ...

from 1973 to 1975, and has performed and recorded with numerous high-profile rock and jazz acts including

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer * Sailboat designs by W. D. Schock Corp ** Santana 20 ** Santan ...

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...

, members of the

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...

, Steve Kimock, and

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

Biography

Born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, United States, Johnson started off as an

upright bass The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...

player, but switched to the

electric bass The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an electric but with a longer neck and scale leng ...

in his late teens. Beginning his career in the early 1970s, Johnson showed innovation and fluidity on the electric bass. He sessioned with a few jazz musicians before landing a job with

, taking over for co-founding member Miroslav Vitous. Johnson debuted with

on the album '' Mysterious Traveller''. He appeared on two more Weather Report albums: '' Tale Spinnin''' (1975) and ''

Black Market A black market is a Secrecy, clandestine Market (economics), market or series of transactions that has some aspect of illegality, or is not compliant with an institutional set of rules. If the rule defines the set of goods and services who ...

'' (1976) before he left the band to work with

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums. Most contemporary western music ensemble, bands that play Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, or Contemporary R&B, R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeepi ...

Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was inducted into the '' Mode ...

. During 1976-77 he recorded three solo albums as a band leader, for the

Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...

label, in a fusion-funk vein. Johnson was one of the first musicians to introduce the Chapman Stick to the public. In 1977, his knowledge of the instrument offered him a rehearsal with Genesis, who were looking for a replacement for guitarist

Steve Hackett Stephen Richard Hackett (born 12 February 1950) is an English guitarist who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis (band), Genesis from 1971 to 1977. Hackett contributed to six Genesis studio albums, three l ...

. Being more of a bassist than a guitarist, Johnson instead recommended his friend ex-Sweetbottom guitarist and fellow session musician Daryl Stuermer, who would go on to remain a member of Genesis's touring band until the band's final concert in 2022. Johnson was one of two bass players on

's first solo album, ''Face Value'', in 1981. In early 1982, Johnson joined

member Bob Weir's side project Bobby and the Midnites. He would reunite with Weir in 2000, playing bass in place of Phil Lesh on tour with The Other Ones. He has also performed fusion versions of Grateful Dead songs alongside Billy Cobham in the band Jazz Is Dead. In 1996, Johnson played bass on tracks " Dance on a Volcano" and " Fountain of Salmacis" on Steve Hackett's '' Genesis Revisited'' album. Later in 1996, Johnson toured Europe and Japan with composer and saxophonist

Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter (August 25, 1933 – March 2, 2023) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Shorter came to mainstream prominence in 1959 upon joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, for whom he eventually became the primary comp ...

, pianist James Beard, drummer Rodney Holmes, and guitarist David Gilmore. He has an extensive experience as a bass teacher and has conducted bass seminars and clinics in Germany, England, France, Scotland, Ireland, Japan, Switzerland, Australia, Brazil and Argentina. Johnson started his college education at Pierce College, and then transferred to

California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge), is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. With a total enrollment of 36,848 students (as of Fall 2024), it has the ...

, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education in 2014. As an undergraduate student, Johnson performed as a member of the CSUN Wind Ensemble. He pursued his graduate degree at CSU Northridge, earning a Master of Arts in Secondary Curriculum and Instruction in 2021. He serves as an adjunct instructor at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

and the

California Institute of the Arts The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a Private university, private art school in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for ...

Equipment

Electric basses

* Fender Precision, extensively modified * Chapman Stick * Lobue Custom *

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...

Alphonso Johnson Custom Shop Bass Guitar *

Infinity * Vigier Arpege 5 fretless * Modulus Quantum 5 String Fretted and Fretless Bass

Acoustic basses

* Washburn AB45

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* '' Moonshadows'' (

, 1976) * '' Yesterday's Dreams'' (Epic, 1976) * '' Spellbound'' (Epic, 1977) * ''Alivemutherforya'' with

Steve Khan Steve Khan (born Steven Harris Cahn; April 28, 1947) is an American jazz guitarist. Career Steven Harris Cahn was born in Los Angeles. His father, lyricist Sammy Cahn, "loved to hear any and all versions of his songs". He took piano lessons as a ...

, Tom Scott ( Columbia, 1978)

As a member

* '' Mysterious Traveller'' ( Columbia, 1974) – rec. 1973–74 * '' Tale Spinnin''' (Columbia, 1975) * ''

'' (Columbia, 1976) – rec. 1975–76

* '' Beyond Appearances'' (Columbia, 1985) – rec. 1984 * ''

Freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...

'' (Columbia, 1987) * '' Spirits Dancing in the Flesh'' (Columbia, 1990) Jazz Is Dead * '' Blue Light Rain'' (Zebra, 1998) * '' Laughing Water'' (Zebra, 1999) – live * '' Great Sky River'' (Zebra, 2001) – live * '' Grateful Jazz'' (Pet Peev, 2015) – rec. 2004

As sideman

With Bob Weir * '' Bobby and the Midnites'' ( Arista, 1981) * '' Where the Beat Meets the Street'' (Columbia, 1984) With others *

, You Can't Go Home Again'' (Horizon, 1977) *

Dee Dee Bridgewater Dee Dee Bridgewater (née Denise Garrett, May 27, 1950) is an American jazz singer and actress. She is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, as well as a Tony Award-winning stage actress. For 23 years, she was the host of National ...

, '' Just Family'' (Elektra, 1977) *

George Cables George Andrew Cables (born November 14, 1944) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Early life Cables was born in New York City, United States. He was initially taught piano by his mother. He then studied at the High School of Performing Art ...

, '' Shared Secrets'' (MuseFX, 2001) *

, ''

Face Value The face value, sometimes called nominal value, is the value of a coin, bond, stamp or paper money as printed on the coin, stamp or bill itself by the issuing authority. The face value of coins, stamps, or bill is usually its legal value. Ho ...

'' (Virgin, 1981) *

George Duke George Martin Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as ...

, '' The Aura Will Prevail'' (MPS, 1975) *

, '' Liberated Fantasies'' (MPS, 1976) * George Duke-

Band, ''"Live" on Tour in Europe'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

, 1976) *

, '' Genesis Revisited'' (Camino, 1996) * Eddie Henderson, '' Sunburst'' (Blue Note, 1975) *

Allan Holdsworth Allan Holdsworth (6 August 1946 – 15 April 2017) was a British jazz and rock music, rock guitarist, violinist and composer. He contributed to numerous bands, including Soft Machine, U.K. (band), U.K., The Tony Williams Lifetime, Pierre Moerl ...

, '' Velvet Darkness'' (CTI, 1976) *

Chuck Mangione Charles Frank Mangione ( ; born November 29, 1940) is an American flugelhorn player, trumpeter and composer. He came to prominence as a member of Art Blakey's band in the 1960s, and later co-led the Jazz Brothers with his brother, Gap Mangione, ...

, '' Land of Make Believe'' ( Mercury, 1973) * Hermeto Pascoal, '' Slaves Mass'' (Warner Bros., 1977) * Abraxas Pool, '' Abraxas Pool'' (Miramar, 1997) * Flora Purim, '' Open Your Eyes You Can Fly'' (Milestone, 1976) *

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...

and

, '' Live at the 1988 Montreux Jazz Festival '' (Image Entertainment, 2005)

References

External links

*
'Ep. 45: Alphonso Johnson, bassist from the Weather Report'
Interview by Tigran Arakelyan {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Alphonso 1951 births Living people American jazz bass guitarists American session musicians Chapman Stick players Epic Records artists Weather Report members 20th-century American bass guitarists 21st-century American bass guitarists Guitarists from Philadelphia American male bass guitarists The Other Ones members Bobby and the Midnites members Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Jazz Is Dead members Catalyst (band) members