J.J. Johnson

One of the major trombonists in modern mainstream jazz, J.J. Johnson, was one of very few players of that instrument to succeed in bebop, and was central to the reinvention of its role in jazz. In his earlier years--especially when playing in bop groups with artists such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Max Roach--his extraordinary technique so dominated the content of his solos that many listeners were convinced he was playing a valve trombone. In the 1960s, Johnson played with Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and toured with his own groups before moving to Los Angeles to write for films and television. Johnson died in 2001 from prostate cancer.