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Plas 'Pink Panther' Johnson: The Sexiest Sax Sound Ever Found
Jazz aficionados know him by name, but almost anyone exposed to music is familiar with his playing.
His is the purring sax solo on Henry Mancini's famous "Pink Panther" movie theme song. His is the saxophone counterpart to Harry "Sweets" Edison's trumpet on the beloved theme music for "The Odd Couple" TV series. And he's the sexy horn player immortalized in Marvin Gayes' masterpiece, "Let's Get It On."
Know him now?
Here's more from Jonny Whiteside of LA Weekly: "From a teenage start in New Orleans backing some of rhythm & blues most formidable players, Plas Johnson's career has been an extraordinary one; by the late 50s, his ability to stroll into a studio and deliver a performance of supreme technical facility and context-ideal feel had made him one of the most prized tenor-sax soloists in Los Angeles. He has appeared on recordings by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Frank Zappa, Joni Mitchell to Screamin' Jay Hawkins, lending each date his priceless instinct and unmistakable velvety tone."
Plas Johnson comes to Pearl's for a very special three-night set. The jazz and soul spendor of the occasion will be heightened by the presence of Dave Mathews on the Hammond B-3, Carl Lockett on guitar, and Kent Bryson on drums.
Plas Johnson was born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, about sixty miles north of New Orleans. His musician's life on the road began in 1951 when he left the Big Easy to go travel with the Charles Brown Blues Band. The Army plucked him from Brown's outfit, and upon his discharge, Johnson moved to California. He attended the Westlake School of Music in Los Angeles for a year and a half, when his studies were derailed by an overloaded schedule of record dates. Johnny Otis added Johnson to his famous blues aggregation, and the smooth sax player was soon a regular session sideman and soloist during Capitol Record's halcyon years. Foremost among the musicians Johnson recorded with at Capitol was Frank Sinatra.
Johnson has been one of the most well-known and sought-after musicians around the California studio scene. He joined "The Merv Griffin Show" band in 1970, where he remained for the next fifteen years, joining an all-star line-up which included prominent instrumentalists like Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Jake Hanna, Benny Powell, Jack Sheldon, Kai Winding and others.
Johnson is the featured soloist heard on countless albums, including those of such artists as Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, Barbra Streisand, Maria Muldaur, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Linda Ronstadt and Sarah Vaughan. He's featured on Steely Dan's Aja, Marvin Gaye's Let's Get it On, several records for BB King, and he even can be heard with Jan & Dean. His saxophone playing is indeed the archetype of American music and he was recently given a Lifetime Acheivement award in the Pop/Rock category.
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LocationJazz at Pearl's
256 Columbus Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94133
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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