Complete Recordings 1946-1951

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Alto saxophonist, vocalist, and bandleader Marvin Johnson (not to be confused with seminal Motown singer Marv Johnson) was born in Texas and did most of his playing in Los Angeles. These complete recordings on the Sepia/G&G/Coronet, Capitol, Tempo, and Theme labels from 1946 to 1951 showcase his Louis Jordan-style jump blues, bop-influenced instrumental jazz chops, and collaborations with bandleaders Jesse Cryor, Bobby Pittman, and Freeman Davis, known professionally as Brother Bones, who you might remember from frequent appearances on the Ed Sullivan TV program. Sibling Roy Johnson is the drummer on many of these tracks, with the unsung pianist Harold Morrow and bassist Edgar Mason. These are small-group sessions even though most are credited as an orchestra. "That's My Baby" was a minor hit, and two versions, the second more instrumental, kick off the collection. Another four selections consist of a 12-bar blues, bop jive blues, "mop mop" group vocal-oriented tune, and a cover of Big Bill Broonzy's "Just a Dream," all under Johnson's aegis from autumn 1946. Another six cuts led by Johnson from either winter or late summer of 1949 -- with a different band save Roy Johnson and Mason and adding guitarist Stanley Morgan -- are the true standout sessions from Capitol Records in 1949. They include the boppin' blues "Amnesia" and hard-swinging "Morganistic," definitive features for the under-recorded Morgan; the novelty "Said the Spider to the Fly"; a corny but relevant handclapping jive cowboy-styled "Hillbilly Boogie"; and a Big Joe Turner-type "Flip Flop and Fly" knockoff, "Save Me a Boogie." Culled from the Tempo and Theme sides of 1951, the most famous and recognizable tune is the take of "Sweet Georgia Brown," one of five selections Marvin Johnson did with whistler, spoons, forks, and bones player Freeman Davis. This is the version that was adopted by coach and owner Abe Saperstein for his touring exhibition basketball team, the Harlem Globetrotters. A classic version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and whistled "In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town" are also included. A bit of inaccuracy crops up here, as the theme "Brother Bones" is misidentified as "Poor Butterfly" -- which is actually the track that follows, credited in the track listing as "How Am I to Know," a title that is not included on the CD. There's another major typo during sweet crooner Cryor's set of four tunes, as the titles "Ace in the Hole" (correctly cut number three) and "Y-O-U Controls Me" (cut number four in reality) are switched. Between this and Pittman's two feature cuts done in New Orleans, there are girlfriend put-down songs "Peculiah Beulah" and "My Baby Loves Me So Supreme" that, similar to "Caledonia," while whimsical in the late '40s, would be offensive and insensitive today. Louis Jordan's trademark happy alto and humorous singing style are firmly stamped in Marvin Johnson's music, and can be recommended to those jump, jive, and wail fans who appreciate this distinct, carefree, and short-lived subgenre of jazz and blues combined. ~ Michael G. Nastos