Randy Barksdale Johnston (born December 5, 1956) 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 ...

guitarist.

Career

The Beatles's performance on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' inspired Johnston to start playing guitar in childhood. He heard jazz for the first time on the album ''The Smithsonian Collection of Jazz'' and was influenced by guitarists

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige Records, Prestige, Blue Note, Verve Records, Verve, CTI Records, CTI, Muse Records, Muse, and Concord Records, Conco ...

and

Grant Green Grant Green (June 6, 1935 – January 31, 1979) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Green has been called one of the "most sampled guitarists." Biography Grant Green was born on June 6, 1935, in St. Louis, Missouri, to John and ...

. Johnston's family moved to Richmond, Virginia, when he was thirteen. He was a member of rock bands that performed at parties and school dances. In the late 1970s he attended the University of Miami, occasionally involved in jam sessions at a Unitarian Church with

Ira Sullivan Ira Sullivan (May 1, 1931 – September 21, 2020) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, flautist, saxophonist, and composer born in Washington, D.C., United States. An active musician since the 1950s, he often worked with Red Rodney ...

. In the early 1980s he moved to New York City and worked with

Warne Marsh Warne Marion Marsh (October 26, 1927 – December 18, 1987) was an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Los Angeles, his playing first came to prominence in the 1950s as a protégé of pianist Lennie Tristano and earned attention in the 1970s as ...

, then as a sideman 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 ...

and

Etta Jones Etta Jones (November 25, 1928 – October 16, 2001) was an American jazz singer. Her best-known recordings are "Don't Go to Strangers" and "Save Your Love for Me". She worked with Buddy Johnson, Oliver Nelson, Earl Hines, Barney Bigard, Gene Ammo ...

. Person produced his first album, ''Walk On'', which was engineered by

Rudy Van Gelder Rudolph Van Gelder (November 2, 1924 – August 25, 2016) was an American recording engineer who specialized in jazz. Over more than half a century, he recorded several thousand sessions, with musicians including Booker Ervin, John Coltrane, Mil ...

. He has worked with Joey DeFrancesco,

Lou Donaldson Louis Andrew Donaldson Jr. (November 1, 1926 – November 9, 2024) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist. He was best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was he ...

Lee Konitz Leon "Lee" Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist and composer. He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's ass ...

, and Lonnie Smith.

Discography

* '' Walk On'' (

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

, 1992) * ''

Jubilation Jubilation may refer to: * Jubilation!, a parade at Tokyo Disneyland * ''Jubilation'' (The Band album), 1998 * ''Jubilation'' (Randy Johnston album), 1994 * ''Jubilation'' (The Rowans album), 1977 * ''Jubilation'', a musical composition by Rich ...

'' (Muse, 1994) * ''In A-Chord'' (Muse, 1995) * ''Somewhere in the Night'' (HighNote, 1997) * ''Riding the Curve'' (J-Curve, 1998) * ''Homage'' (J-Curve, 2000) * '' Detour Ahead'' (HighNote, 2001) * ''Hit & Run'' (HighNote, 2002) * ''Is It You'' (HighNote, 2005) * ''People Music'' (Random Act, 2011)

As sideman

With

* '' The Party'' (Muse, 1991) * '' Why Not!'' (Muse, 1991) * '' Christmas with Houston Person and Friends'' (Muse, 1994) * '' All Soul'' (HighNote, 2005) * ''

Moment to Moment ''Moment to Moment'' is a 1966 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Jean Seberg, Honor Blackman and Sean Garrison. Plot Kay Stanton lives on the French Riviera with her psychiatrist husband Neil Sta ...

'' (HighNote, 2010) With others * Joey DeFrancesco, ''The Champ'' (HighNote, 1999) *

, ''Relaxing at Sea'' (Chiaroscuro, 2000) * Della Griffin, ''Travelin' Light'' (Muse, 1994) * Della Griffin, ''I'll Get by'' (Muse, 1996) *

, ''

Sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

'' (Muse, 1990) * Etta Jones, '' Christmas with Etta Jones'' (Muse, 1990) * Eddie Landsberg, ''Remembering Eddie Jefferson'' (Berghem, 2002) *

Johnny Lytle John “Johnny” Dillard Lytle (October 13, 1932 in Springfield, Ohio – December 15, 1995 in Springfield) was an American jazz drummer and vibraphonist. Life and career Lytle grew up in Springfield, Ohio in a family of musicians, the son o ...

, ''Possum Grease'' (Muse, 1995) *

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 ...

, ''Another Real Good'un'' (Muse, 1990) *

Irene Reid Irene Reid (September 23, 1930 – January 5, 2008) was an American jazz singer. Early life Reid was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia. She sang in church and in high school in Georgia, and moved to New York City in 1947 after her mother d ...

, ''One Monkey Don't Stop No Show'' (Savant, 2002) * Bria Skonberg, ''So Is the Day'' (Random Act, 2012)

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, Randy American jazz guitarists Jazz musicians from Michigan Muse Records artists HighNote Records artists Living people 1956 births University of Hartford Hartt School faculty Guitarists from Michigan 20th-century American guitarists