* En anglais uniquement
A subtle player,
Manzie Johnson was always considered a valuable drummer by prebop musicians. He grew up in New York and had some piano and violin lessons before settling on drums. In the 1920's he worked with Willie Gant's Ramblers (1926),
June Clark,
Elmer Snowden,
Joe Steele,
Fats Waller,
James P. Johnson and
Horace Henderson (1930).
Johnson, who recorded with
Jelly Roll Morton in 1928, was a member of the Don Redman Orchestra during 1931-37. After leaving
Redman, he freelanced including playing with Willie Bryant,
Lil Armstrong,
Mezz Mezzrow, back with
Redman (in 1940 and 1944) and
James P. Johnson, Ovie Alston (on and off during 1940-44) and
Fletcher Henderson (1941). By the late 1940's (after a period in the military) he was a parttime player although he recorded with
Sidney Bechet as late as 1951 and continued playing into the 1960's including with
Garvin Bushell and
Happy Caldwell.
Manzie Johnson, who also recorded with
Red Allen and
Benny Morton in the 1930's, never headed his own record session. ~ Scott Yanow