'Saturday Night Live' musician, Alabama native Howard Johnson has died (al.com)
Updated 7:09 PM; Today 7:00 PM
By Matt Wake | mwake@al.com
His name was ordinary but his career in music was anything but that. Jazz musician Howard Johnson, who worked with artists ranging from John Lennon to Miles Davis and was a member of TV’s “Saturday Night Live” house band during the ’70s, died today at age 79.
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A self-taught musician, Johnson was known for his prowess on tuba and baritone sax. He was also skilled on other instruments, like flugelhorn, bass clarinet, cornet and penny whistle. After attending high school in Ohio, Johnson moved to New York around 1963.
From there he went on to record with jazz luminaries like Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus. He played on “Miles & Quincy Live: at Montreux,” Davis’ collaboration with conductor/producer Quincy Jones.
Johnson teamed up with Canadian folk-rock musicians The Band on “The Last Waltz,” widely considered to be one of the best concert films ever. Johnson also worked on two Lennon albums: “Walls and Bridges” and “Double Fantasy,” the last studio album the legendary Beatle released before his 1980 murder.
Other Johnson credits include bluesman Muddy Waters on “The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album,” fusion bass virtuoso Jaco Pastorius’ solo debut LP and early classics by eclectic roots musician Taj Mahal. R&B singer Chaka Khan too.
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more (yes, there's more -- he really got around!): https://www.al.com/life/2021/01/saturday-night-live-musician-alabama-native-howard-johnson-has-died.html
http://www.hojotuba.com/
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