Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: tomhug on April 23, 2011, 09:09:28 AM

Title: Alembic Sighting - or - so _THAT'S_ Jimmy Johnson
Post by: tomhug on April 23, 2011, 09:09:28 AM

Two interesting clips:  backstage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM9ljFkgIL8&NR=1) and  playing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xID0_fwiqBM&feature=related)
 
Some thoughts:
1) So Will Lee is an awesome bass player, great vocalist, then he pulls out a harmonica and blows incredible harp . . . awe-insipring.
 
2) I was thinking, How intimidating to be playing bass with Will Lee singing Unless you're someone like Jimmy Johnson (who I've heard mentioned here a lot, but hadn't heard much of musically).
 
This is a very well-recorded video and the bass sounds great. My idea of the perfect tone for the song. Great players at their craft!

Title: Alembic Sighting - or - so _THAT'S_ Jimmy Johnson
Post by: keith_h on April 23, 2011, 10:42:37 AM

Here are a couple of clips of Jimmy with Allan Holdsworth. I believe they are from around 1986. The bass sits nicely in the mix and there are some good shots of Jimmy playing.  
 
Keith
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-EHwQ2kscU (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-EHwQ2kscU)
 

Title: Alembic Sighting - or - so _THAT'S_ Jimmy Johnson
Post by: crobbins on April 23, 2011, 12:47:28 PM

Here's one of my favorites of Jimmy playing with James Taylor.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R2Cjx4z_CQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R2Cjx4z_CQ)

Title: Alembic Sighting - or - so _THAT'S_ Jimmy Johnson
Post by: tbrannon on April 23, 2011, 01:42:54 PM

How about some funky Jimmy? The solo from 2:00-3:30 is some pretty tasty playing.  
 
Rio Funk with Lee Ritenour.  Definitely worth watching until the end, because Phil Perry does something I've never heard another man ever, ever do justice to- he belts out a version of Rock Steady (starting at about 4:50) that would make Aretha smile.  
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxkiqPlH3Xg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxkiqPlH3Xg)

Title: Alembic Sighting - or - so _THAT'S_ Jimmy Johnson
Post by: tomhug on April 23, 2011, 02:06:45 PM

 The solo from 2:00-3:30 is some pretty tasty playing.  
 
Um, yeah, you could say that: the hair on my forearms still has not gone down. How is it I've never listened to this guy until today? Wow.

Title: Alembic Sighting - or - so _THAT'S_ Jimmy Johnson
Post by: tbrannon on April 23, 2011, 03:20:46 PM

Tom,
 
Check the showcase section- find Artists and their Alembics and you'll find a long thread on Jimmy Johnson- best part is that Jimmy posts regularly and answers questions, etc.

Title: Alembic Sighting - or - so _THAT'S_ Jimmy Johnson
Post by: bigredbass on April 24, 2011, 09:46:45 PM

Now have you heard of him?
 
I would certainly not presume to speak for Jimmy, but I get the sense he prefers to let his playing do the talking for him.  He does not post a website, and stops in here, where he prefers to speak on a musician to musician basis, for which we are all very grateful.  I hope I have respectfully and correctly spoken to this.
 
The 'Rio Funk' clip is exactly why I always gravitate to guys like Double J and Anthony Jackson:  They play to the song.  
 
No doubt about it, he got 'all of it', certainly;  but no amount of NAMM-show, super chopped, slap happy fireworks that derails the whole train will EVER replace mature  
musicianship that serves the song.
 
I can accept I could never play like that, I just wish I could have that grasp of inversions and talking from both ends of the neck, something Jimmy has made his own, those leaps are just terrifying.  
 
It did make feel a little better, that just like some of my old gigs, right when you're really mining a groove, somebody has to tack on a cover tune at the end !
 
J o e y
 
(Message edited by bigredbass on April 24, 2011)