07/23/2023
Phenomenal player!
HAPPY 92nd BIRTHDAY to Plas Johnson!!!
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 Neal Hefti's signature music for "The Odd Couple" TV series.
Plas John Johnson Jr. is the featured soloist heard on countless albums, including those of such artists as Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Linda Ronstadt and Sarah Vaughan.
Plas was born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, about sixty miles north of New Orleans. As teens, Plas and brother Ray formed a band, the Johnson Brothers Combo, that played in and around New Orleans for a number of years. Plas left New Orleans in 1951 to go on the road with the Chartes Brown Blues Band. The road, a stint in the Army and a permanent move to California followed. Plas 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. He was brought to the attention of Johnny Otis, who immediately added him to his blues aggregation. Johnny then introduced Plas to Dave Cavanaugh, who held an influential A&R position at Capitol Records, where he soon became a regular session sideman and soloist during Capitol's halcyon years.
Plas has been one of the most well-known and sought-after musicians around the California studio scene. He joined "The Merv Griffin Show" band, led by Mort Lindsey, in 1970, where he remained for the next fifteen years, joining an all-star line-up which also included such prominent instrumentalists as Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Jake Hanna, Benny Powell, Jack Sheldon, Kai Winding and others.
He has kept busy ever since on a constant touring schedule and appearing on scores of sessions including work with the Capp-Pierce Juggernaut, and toured with the Gene Harris Superband in 1990.
Plas' recent recordings include his own albums, "Hot, Blue & Saxy," "Evening Delight," "Christmas in Hollywood," and "Keep That Groove Going!" on Milestone, with Red Holloway.
Source: All About Jazz/Scott Yanow
