Performance  Stuart Johnson.

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Principal instruments soprano & tenor saxophones. Doubling bass clarinet, other saxophones, occasional flute and an original WX7 wind synth. Stuart considers himself a soprano saxophone specialist, having switched from clarinet on acquiring his first horn  in 1970 (a 1920's Selmer 26 for £15!). Struggling with that for years taught him most of what he knows about intonation.

That said, most of his work is on tenor, for the usual reasons. The home page indicates the kinds of things he does. A solid reader, dependable section player and adventurous soloist, with a reputation for turning up in good time at the right gig with the right clothes and general absence of attitude.

Aside from journeyman deps, Stuart's work includes, or has included;

A new project out and about from Summer 2019;  Groove Crusade: The Music of the Crusaders. Great sextet playing new arrangements of the work of the legendary jazz-funk-soul band, and thus far very well received. Back in circulation as soon as we're all back in circulation.

Which, in summer 2022, we finally were; the band played its first gig in 25 pandemic months. More information on everything here;

 https://groovecrusade.wordpress.com/

Groove Crusade: (L to R): Stuart Johnson, tenor & soprano saxophones; Tim Franks, drums; Pete Major, keyboards & vocals; Keith Peberdy, bass; Willy Fluss, guitar; Jon Moreman, trombone. (Photography; Dave Brown)

         Tangent. Function/Corporate Hospitality. Within the traditions of 20th century popular music, ensembles arranged to meet most budgets and circumstances. Jazz, soul, funk, pop, & sensitive             background music for weddings, civil partnerships, conferences, product launches, parties and special occasions. 

• Chameleon.  1982-2015. Archive information only.
• Northumbria Saxophone Quartet. Archive information only   Playing repertoire encompassing everything from funk to opera, township jive, chamber music and commissioned work.
• Gerry Richardson's Big Idea. Fantastic nine-piece soul-jazz band led by Hammond organ virtuoso & long-time Sting collaborator. Great gig review from 'The Independent', April 2010,  here.  Band website here.
• 
• The James Taylor Project. 2008 -10. Archive information only. A trio with guitar-vocalist Brian Dales interpreting the work of the great singer-songwriter James Taylor and his principal collaborators.

Left: At The Sage Gateshead with NSQ, December 2004.

Centre: At Hospitalfield, Arbroath, with Gerry Richardson's Big Idea, March 2005.

Right: At Zeffirelli's, Ambleside, with Chameleon, February 2006.

        Chameleon: Contemporary Jazz/Funk/Ambient.

• Chameleon; 'Mean It', 1989.  (Andy Watson). Written by great English guitarist Andy Watson, this was recorded live by Sveriges Riksradio (Swedish State Radio) in November 1989 at Umea Jazz Festival. The MC tells you who's playing. In Swedish, of course.

• Chameleon; "Creepin' In The Back Door", 1995. (Stuart Johnson). A slightly lo-fi live-in-studio version of a piece inspired by and dedicated to the great and utterly original British trio Back Door (Ron Aspery [1946-2003], Tony Hicks [1948-2006], and Colin Hodgkinson) whose legendary gigs at the Lion Inn on the North Yorkshire Moors in the early seventies were a formative influence on Stuart. Features Bob Peacock, an old associate of Ron's, on piano, Adrian Rea, Hicksy's brother-in-law, on drums, and Aidan Lawrence, bass guitar. Produced by Damian Blackwell, the lo-fi is entirely due to the only surviving copy of this session being on a cheap ferric cassette tape.

• Chameleon; 'Four-Way Street', 1996. (Isaac Guillory). A trio this time; Race Newton, keyboards, Stuart - on wind synthesiser - and percussionist Paul Smith, with additional guitar from producer Mike Frankland. Race worked for many years with his fellow American, guitarist Isaac Guillory (1947-2000), and this is a tune of Isaac's they played together regularly.

• Chameleon; 'MDD'', 1996. (Stuart Johnson). Kind of Ambient. More simple harmony. More trio as above. More harmon-mute wind synth. Some baritone sax. MDD? Miles Dewey Davis.

• Chameleon; 'Looks Like Meringue', 1991. (John Scofield). Unearthed in May 2007 along with several other live-to-stereo recordings from tour dates in  Belfast, Norwich, Newcastle & St. Helier. More to follow when the necessary digitisation has been done. Features Paul Brown (Guitar), Aidan Lawrence (Bass), Adrian Rea (Drums), Race Newton (Keyboards) & Stuart Johnson (Wind Synthesiser), with sound engineering from Colin Wilson at  Compact Audio. We think this one is from Live Theatre, Newcastle, on November 17th, 1991.

• Chameleon; 'Fine Lines', 1991. (Andy Watson). Another one of Andy's great tunes, although he doesn't play on this recording. Also from May 2007's archaeological dig featuring the same line up and instrumentation as above from, we think, the same gig.

• Chameleon; 'Fine Lines (1)', 1991. (Andy Watson). Another version of the above, recorded in Belfast on November 13th, 1991.

• Chameleon; 'Yesterdays' 1995 -  we think. (Jerome Kern) & 'Autumn Leaves'  (Joseph Kosma/Johnny Mercer). Two standards, found during a loft clearance in November 2009. A trio; Bob Peacock, Piano; Keith Peberdy, Bass Guitar & Stuart Johnson, Soprano Saxophone.  

• Chameleon; 'Willow Weep For Me', 1996. (Ann Ronell). Another standard. Just a duo; Stuart Johnson & Race Newton

• Without question, Race Newton (1927-2003) is the single musician who has most affected my life. His great piano playing, prodigious intelligence, wisdom and joyous sense of humour touched all who knew him. Every moment spent with him was a lesson in how to live a decent life. He was the best company you could possibly have, and a remarkable human being. We all miss him every day.

• And remembering Mike Frankland and Aidan Lawrence. Both great guys and consummate professionals sadly lost far too early. Much missed by all who knew them.

        Tangent: Cocktail Jazz Duo; Background Music.

• Tangent; 'Gentle Rain', 2007. (Luis Bonfa). Cocktail jazz from the duo......

• Tangent; 'Alone Together', 2007. (Howard Dietz & Arthur Schwarz)

• Many thanks to studiomeister Dave Turner for these first-take recordings.

• Stuart Johnson.

• 'Ice & Fire', 1997. (Stuart Johnson). A piece for bass clarinet and sequencers, produced by Mike Frankland, and written for Dodgy Clutch Theatre Company's ambitious 'Street of the Moon', staged over five nights on boats and floating stages on the River Tees, England, in August 1997 as part of Stockton Riverside International Festival's Tenth Anniversary celebrations.

• 'Epiphanies and Robberies' (2024); A joint project with Avril Johnson and Neil Harland. Not on the audio player, since it has its own presence on the web. Find out about it here.

• Big Band; Voice of the North. Another neglected tape recovered in November 2009. These are the first four digitisations of a recording made by The Voice of the North Jazz Orchestra at Harrogate International Festival, England, on July 31st, 1998. MD & solo tenor saxophone Tommy Smith, with Mark Nightingale (trombone) and Bruce Adams (trumpet) as the other guest soloists. This concert, and subsequent ones, were originally intended to present three of Duke Ellington's great suites in their entirety; 'Such Sweet Thunder', 'The Queen's Suite', and 'The Far East Suite'. Realising that this would take well over three hours and destroy everyone's chops, the eventual performances presented substantial sections of all three works, and still destroyed everyone's chops. Stuart plays baritone saxophone & bass clarinet throughout.
• VOTN-Ellington; 'Depk', from' The Far East Suite'. Stuart takes the odd and tricky theme on baritone with Richard Ingham, clarinet.
• VOTN-Ellington; 'Tourist Point of View', from 'The Far East Suite' . Great tenor solo from Tommy Smith.
• VOTN-Ellington; 'Le Sucrier Velours', from 'The Queen's Suite'.  Classic Ellington textures & voicings for reeds. Unmistakeable.
• VOTN-Ellington; 'Madness in Great Ones', from 'Such Sweet Thunder'. In which Bruce Adams gives Cat Anderson, the Ellington band's high-note specialist, a run for his money.

        Gerry Richardson's Big Idea. 

        Title track from the album 'So Many Reasons',   released December 2012.

          Groove Crusade - Celebrating the music of the Crusaders.

        'My Mama Told Me So' , 2024.

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Nothing to do with any of the above, save that here is another big influence - not just on me but on pretty much everyone who tries to play this music. I only ever got to hear the band live twice - this was the second time, in October 1978 at Newcastle City Hall, England; the 'Night Passage' tour. The first occasion was the previous year on the 'Heavy Weather' tour. Heavy and happy days!  Peter Erskine, Jaco Pastorius, Wayne Shorter & Joe Zawinul ;

 The incomparable Weather Report.

You can watch a superb concert video shot in Germany just a few days before here. A unique band at the height of its powers. Timeless; though maybe not the tank top and flares........

And whilst we're here, two more guiding lights.................................

Frank Zappa at the same venue in Newcastle a few months later, February 1979.

And a youthful Pat Metheny in a tent. Bracknell Jazz Festival, England, July 1980.

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010. Chameleon.  The Barony Church, Dalswinton, Dumfriesshire. 7.30pm. (Trio). Programme & ticket details  here Review here

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010. Chameleon. Darwen Jazz & Blues Festival. The Bridgewater, Darwen, Lancashire 4.00pm.

 Saturday, August 21st, 2010. Chameleon.  Zeffirelli's, Ambleside, Cumbria, 8.30pm.

 Saturday, May 8th, 2010. Chameleon.  Zeffirelli's, Ambleside, Cumbria, 8.15pm.

 Sunday, March 28th, 2010. Tangent. Wedding Fair; Netherwood Hotel, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria. Various times 1130-1600 (Duo).

 Saturday, March 27th, 2010. Gerry Richardson's Big Idea. Gateshead International Jazz Festival. 10pm.  National press review here.

 Sunday, March 21st, 2010. Chameleon. The Sparrowhawk, Burnley, Lancashire. Cancelled due to venue closure.

 Saturday, February 20th, 2010. La Machine.  'Les Resonateurs: Fanfire' ; Blackpool, Lancashire. Showzam '10 Festival, Heat The Streets  4pm-8pm. More info:

 Thursday, February 4th, 2010. Chameleon. The Black Horse, Darwen, Lancashire. 9pm. 

 2009

 Saturday, December 19th, 2009. Chameleon.  Zeffirelli's, Ambleside, Cumbria. 8.15pm.

 Thursday, December 17th, 2009. The Sage Gateshead's 5th Birthday Celebration, with Andy Sheppard & Choir, 5pm.

 Sunday, December 6th, 2009. Chameleon. The Sparrowhawk, Burnley, Lancashire, 1pm.

 Tuesday, December 1st, 2009. Tangent. Pizza Express, Carlisle, Cumbria. 7.30pm (Duo)

 Tuesday, November 24th, 2009. Chameleon.The Puzzle, Sowerby Bridge, W. Yorkshire. 8.30pm.

 Friday, October 30th, 2009. Chameleon.  The Aspinall Arms, Mitton, Lancashire. 9pm.

 Saturday, October 10th, 2009. The James Taylor Project.  The Acoustic Tea Room, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria. 8.30pm.

 Sunday, August 30th, 2009. Tangent .  The Eagle at Barrow, Nr. Clitheroe, Lancashire. 2.30pm. (Trio)

 Saturday, August 8th, 2009. Chameleon. Zeffirelli's, Ambleside, Cumbria, 8.15pm.

 Saturday, July 25th, 2009. Gerry Richardson's Big Idea.  Manchester Jazz Festival. 1200 noon.  Roly Veitch Trio. Zeffirelli's, Ambleside, Cumbria. 8.15pm

 Sunday, July 19th, 2009. Chameleon. The Sparrowhawk, Burnley, Lancashire,  1pm.

 Tuesday, July 7th, 2009. Tangent. Pizza Express, Carlisle. Cumbria. 7.30pm (Duo)

 Saturday, May 9th, 2009. Gerry Richardson's Big Idea. Zeffirelli's, Ambleside,. Cumbria, 8.15pm.

 Friday, May 1st, 2009. Gerry Richardson's Big Idea. Community Theatre, Saltburn, North Yorkshire, 7.30pm.

 Thursday, April 2nd, 2009. Chameleon. The Black Horse, Darwen, Lancashire. 9pm.

 Thursday, February 5th, 2009.  Gerry Richardson's Big Idea.  The Corner House. Newcastle.  8pm. Recent reviews & images here and here

 Saturday, January 31st, 2009. The James Taylor Project. Lanercost Cricket Pavilion, Lanercost, Cumbria. 8pm.

 2008 (part).

 Sunday, December 14th, 2008. Chameleon. The Sparrowhawk, Burnley, Lancashire, 1pm.

 Saturday, December 13th, 2008. Chameleon.  Zeffirelli's, Ambleside, Cumbria, 8.15pm.