Harold "Money" Johnson (February 23, 1918 – March 28, 1978) was 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 ...

trumpeter.

Early life

Johnson was born in

Tyler, Texas Tyler, officially the City of Tyler, is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, United States. As of 2020, the population is 105,995. Tyler was the List of municipalities in Texas, 38th most populous city in Texas (as well as the m ...

, on February 23, 1918. He first played trumpet at age 15. Primarily a trumpeter, he also recorded with the trombone in a few instances and subsequently the flugelhorn and flute, respectively.

Later life and career

He moved to

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

in 1936 and jammed with Charlie Christian and Henry Bridges before joining Nat Towles's band. He played with Horace Henderson and Bob Dorsey before returning to Towles's band in 1944 in Chicago. He also played with

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

Cootie Williams Charles Melvin "Cootie" Williams (July 10, 1911 – September 15, 1985) was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter. Biography Born in Mobile, Alabama, Williams began his professional career at the age of 14 with the Yo ...

Lucky Millinder Lucius Venable "Lucky" Millinder (August 8, 1910 – September 28, 1966) was an American swing music, swing and rhythm and blues, rhythm-and-blues bandleader. Although he could not read or write music, did not play an instrument and rarely sang ...

, and

Bull Moose Jackson Benjamin Clarence "Bull Moose" Jackson (April 22, 1919 – July 31, 1989) Allmusic biography Accessed January 2008. was an American blues and rhythm-and-blues singer and saxophonist, who was most successful in the late 1940s. He is considered ...

in the 1940s. His associations in the 1950s included

Louis Jordan Louis Thomas Jordan (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975) was an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and bandleader who was popular from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the King ...

(1951), Lucky Thompson (1953),

Sy Oliver Melvin James "Sy" Oliver (December 17, 1910 – May 28, 1988) was an American jazz arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader. Life Sy Oliver was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. His mother was a piano teacher, and his f ...

, Buddy Johnson, Cozy Cole, Mercer Ellington, Little Esther (1956), and

Panama Francis David Albert "Panama" Francis (December 21, 1918 – November 13, 2001) was an American swing jazz drummer who played on numerous hit recordings in the 1950s. Early life Francis was born in Miami, Florida, on December 21, 1918. His father was ...

(for performances in Uruguay in 1953). In the 1960s Johnson played in the

house band A house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which ...

at the

Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater (formerly the Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre; also Apollo Theatre or 125th Street Apollo Theatre) is a multi-use Theater (structure), theater at 253 125th Street (Manhattan), West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of U ...

in New York, and recorded with

King Curtis Curtis Montgomery (February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), known professionally as King Curtis, was an American saxophonist who played rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock and roll. A bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musi ...

in 1962. He toured the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

with

Earl Hines Earl Kenneth Hines, also known as Earl "Fatha" Hines (December 28, 1903 – April 22, 1983), was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one source, " ...

in 1966. From 1968 he played in the

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

Orchestra and also worked again with Hines and Oliver. He recorded with

Buck Clayton Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton (November 12, 1911 – December 8, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter who was a member of Count Basie's orchestra. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong, first hearing the record " Confessin' that I Love You" ...

in 1975. Johnson's last performance was on the night before he died of a heart attack, which was on March 28, 1978, in New York City.

Discography

:''Year of release, rather than recording is indicated.'' With Pearl Bailey *''1944–1947'' (Classics, 2002) *''Takes Two To Tango'' (ASV/Living Era, 2004) With Cozy Cole *''Cozy Cole/Savina'' (Love, 2005) With

*''Buck Clayton Jam Session'' (Chiaroscuro, 1975) With

*''Blow Man, Blow!'' (Bear Family, 1992) With

*''Second Sacred Concert'' (Prestige, 1968) *''New Orleans Suite'' (Atlantic, 1970) *''The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse'' (Original Jazz Classics, 1971) *''Up In Duke's Workshop'' (Original Jazz Classics, 1972) *''The Ellington Suites: The Queen's Suite/The Goutelas Suite/The Uwis Suite'' (Pablo/Original Jazz Classics, released 1976) *''The Intimate Ellington'' (Concord, 1977) *''Private Collection, Vol. 9: Studio Sessions, New York'' (Saja, 1989) *''Private Collection, Vol. 10'' (Saja, 1989) *''Never Before Released Recordings 1965–1972'' (Musicmasters, 1991) *''Cool Rock'' (Laserlight, 1992) *''Berlin '65/Paris '67'' (Pablo, 1997) *''Togo Brava Suite'' (Storyville, 2001) *''Live & Rare'' (Bluebird RCA, 2002) *''Rugged Jungle'' (Lost Secret, 2004) *''New York, NY'' (Storyville, 2008) *''Live in Warsaw October 30, 1971'' (Gambit, 2009) *''Last Trip To Paris: Nov 14 1973'' (City Hall, 2013) *''Mara Gold'' (Squatty Roo, 2014) With Duke Ellington Orchestra / Mercer Ellington *''Continuum'' (Fantasy, 1975) With

*''Let the Good Times Roll'' (Imports, 1992) *''Let The Good Times Roll: The Anthology 1938–1953'' (MCA, 1999) With Barbara Lewis *''Hello Stranger: The Best of Barbara Lewis'' (Rhino, 1994) With

Jack McDuff Eugene McDuffy (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. He was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz ...

*'' A Change Is Gonna Come/Double Barrelled Soul'' (Atlantic, 1966) With

*''1945–1947'' (Classics, 2003) With

*''Back Beats'' (Pearl, 1996) *''1943–1947'' (Classics, 1999) With

Houston Person Houston Person (born November 10, 1934) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing music, swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. He re ...

*'' Houston Express'' (Prestige, 1970) *''Legends Of Acid Jazz'' (Prestige, 1996) With Red Prysock *''Swingsation'' (Verve, 1999) With Jesse Stone *''Jesse Stone Alias Charles "Chuck" Calhoun'' (Bear Family, 1996) With Lucky Thompson *''Lucky Moments'' (Ocium, 2003) With Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson *''Primary Cuts, Vol. 1'' (Catfish, 2000) With Cootie Williams and His Orchestra *''1945–1946'' (Classics, 1999) *''Big Bands At The Savoy'' (and Luis Russell, Allegro, 1999)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Money 1918 births 1978 deaths 20th-century American musicians American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters Duke Ellington Orchestra members Musicians from Tyler, Texas American male jazz musicians 20th-century American male musicians