Money Johnson


Harold "Money" Johnson was an American jazz trumpeter.

Early life

Johnson was born in Tyler, Texas, 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 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, Cootie Williams, Lucky Millinder, and Bull Moose Jackson in the 1940s. His associations in the 1950s included Louis Jordan, Lucky Thompson, Sy Oliver, Buddy Johnson, Cozy Cole, Mercer Ellington, Little Esther, and Panama Francis.
In the 1960s Johnson played in the house band at the Apollo Theater in New York, and recorded with King Curtis in 1962. He toured the USSR with Earl Hines in 1966. From 1968 he played in the Duke Ellington Orchestra and also worked again with Hines and Oliver. He recorded with Buck Clayton 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

With Pearl Bailey
With Cozy Cole
  • Cozy Cole/Savina
With Buck Clayton
  • Buck Clayton Jam Session
With King Curtis
  • Blow Man, Blow!
With Duke Ellington
  • Second Sacred Concert
  • New Orleans Suite
  • The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse
  • Up In Duke's Workshop
  • The Ellington Suites: The Queen's Suite/The Goutelas Suite/The Uwis Suite
  • The Intimate Ellington
  • Private Collection, Vol. 9: Studio Sessions, New York
  • Private Collection, Vol. 10
  • Never Before Released Recordings 1965–1972
  • Cool Rock
  • Berlin '65/Paris '67
  • Togo Brava Suite
  • Live & Rare
  • Rugged Jungle
  • New York, NY
  • Live in Warsaw October 30, 1971
  • Last Trip To Paris: Nov 14 1973
  • Mara Gold
With Duke Ellington Orchestra / Mercer Ellington
  • Continuum
With Louis Jordan
With Barbara Lewis
With Jack McDuff
  • A Change Is Gonna Come/Double Barrelled Soul
With Bull Moose Jackson
  • 1945–1947
With Lucky Millinder
  • Back Beats
  • 1943–1947
With Houston Person
  • Houston Express
  • Legends Of Acid Jazz
With Red Prysock
  • Swingsation
With Jesse Stone
  • Jesse Stone Alias Charles "Chuck" Calhoun
With Lucky Thompson
  • Lucky Moments
With Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
  • Primary Cuts, Vol. 1
With Cootie Williams and His Orchestra
  • 1945–1946
  • ''Big Bands At The Savoy''