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Mark Johnson
(September 2005 Issue)
Playing Tony's Drums With Wallace Roney Do
those canary-yellow drums look familiar?
That's because they belonged
to the late Tony Williams, who gave them to trumpeter Wallace Roney.
Today Wallace
allows Mark Johnson, his current drummer, to use them for
rehearsals. A lefty on a right-handed kit, Mark is a strong player
who
can effortlessly pull off many of Tony's trademarks, including those
rapid Swiss-triplet tom
fills.
Meanwhile, there are other traditions to keep alive. For
example, last year Mark released a CD titled Johnson
Brothers:
Featuring "Scat" Johnson. Although Mark and bassist Billy Johnson have
cut several albums under the family name,
including Beam Me Up, this
one immortalizes a performance by their father, "Scat," who was a jazz
singer in the '40s
and '50s. The elder Johnson's nickname was conferred
by actor Bob Hope when both men joined Jack Benny
entertaining the
troops in the South Pacific during World War II. The name stuck long
after the war. Before "Scat" passed
away in 1995, the mayor of
Milwaukee presented him with the keys to the city. "Everybody knew him
there," says Mark. "In
fact, Al Jarreau used to go and watch him sing."
Apart from writing material for The Johnson Brothers - not to
be
confused with The Brothers Johnson'mark has worked steadily in the New
York jazz scene. A fiery drummer who has
no problem with breakneck
tempos, Johnson got a humble start on his dad's cocktail drum. People
began to take
notice, one of whom was Art Blakey, who prodded the young
Mark. "He told me that I could play the drums in any small city,
but
that people wouldn't get to know me," says Mark. "To really learn the
drums, and the music, he said I would have to
come to New York. I
visited in 1978 and immediately began to work with everybody, starting
with Walter Davis Jr. So I
stayed." Other employers include Abbey
Lincoln, Geri Allen, Stanley Turrentine, Cassandra Wilson, David
Murray, and Ray
Spiegal, who gave Mark tabla lessons. "Max Roach told
me that's how he got his concept - from tablas," says Mark, who
plays
drums and tabla on a new David Murray Octet release celebrating John
Coltrane's music.
Mark pauses
and takes stock of his life: an indie record
company, a full calendar, world tours, and the respect of his peers.
"Art Blakey was
right," he reflects. (Readers can contact Mark at mej1957@aol.com.)
T. Bruce Wittet
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