Marc Johnson

Marc Johnson (born 21 October 1953 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA) is an American jazz musician (double bass), composer and band leader, married to the Brazilian jazz singer and pianist Eliane Elias. Johnson was born in Nebraska, but grew up in Texas.

Career
At the age of 19, Johnson was working professionally with the Fort Worth Symphony, and while at the University of North Texas, he played in the One O'Clock Lab Band and was also the principal bassist in the NTSU Symphony.

In 1978, Johnson joined legendary pianist Bill Evans' in what would be Evans's last trio. Johnson toured and recorded with Evans until the death of the pianist in 1980.

His many recording credits since then include discs with Joe Lovano, Michael Brecker, Stan Getz, Bob Brookmeyer, Gary Burton, John Abercrombie, Bill Frisell, Pat Metheny, Eliane Elias, Enrico Pieranunzi, Joey Baron, Philly Joe Jones, Jack DeJohnette, Peter Erskine, Paul Motian and many others. He has also appeared as a leader of his own bands, starting with Bass Desires, a quartet that featured Bill Frisell and John Scofield on electric guitar, with Peter Erskine on drums, which gained international recognition following two ECM recordings in the mid-eighties. He also recorded two CDs of his own group 'Right Brain Patrol' for JMT Records, followed by his Sound of Summer Running release on Verve. His ECM release Shades of Jade was featured in Time's October 17, 2005 issue "5 CDs that Really Swing", as one of the five top jazz releases of the season. It was selected by the Chicago Tribune as one of the 10 best jazz recordings of 2005 and also received the "Danish Music Award" for Best Foreign Release in 2005. It features his wife, pianist and composer Eliane Elias, Joe Lovano, on tenor saxophone, John Scofield on guitar and Joey Baron on drums.

Marc Johnson has a new recording Swept Away, featuring Eliane Elias, Joe Lovano and Joey Baron released in 2012 on ECM Records.

As band leader

 * 1972: Years (Vanguard)
 * 1985: ''Bass Desires (ECM)
 * 1987: Second Sight (ECM), within Bass Desires
 * 1989: Two By Four (Verve, EmArcy)
 * 1991: Right Brain Patrol (JMT)
 * 1995: Magic Labyrinth (JMT)
 * 1998: The Sound of Summer Running (Verve), with Bill Frisell, Pat Metheny & Joey Baron
 * 1999: If Trees Could Fly (Intuition Music)
 * 2004: Bass and Cello (King Japan)


 * With Eliane Elias
 * 2005: Shades of Jade (ECM)
 * 2012:  Swept Away (ECM)

Collaborative works

 * With Woody Herman
 * 1979: Road Father (Century)


 * With Bill Evans
 * 1979: We Will Meet Again (Warner Bros.)
 * 1979: Homecoming (Milestone)
 * 1979: The Paris Concert: Edition One (Elektra Musician)
 * 1979: The Paris Concert: Edition Two (Elektra Musician)
 * 1980: Letter to Evan (Dreyfus)
 * 1980: Turn Out the Stars: The Final Village Vanguard Recordings (Dreyfus)
 * 1980: The Last Waltz: The Final Recordings (Milestone)
 * 1980: Consecration: The Final Recordings Part 2 (Milestone)


 * With Stan Getz
 * 1982: Pure Getz (Concord)
 * 1982: Blue Skies (Concord, 1982, 1995 veröffentlicht)


 * With Charles Lloyd
 * 1982: Lift Every Voice (ECM)


 * With Jimmy Gourley & Philippe Combelle
 * 1983: The Jazz Trio


 * With John Abercrombie
 * 1985: Current Events (ECM)
 * 1987: Getting There (ECM)
 * 1988: John Abercrombie / Marc Johnson / Peter Erskine (ECM)
 * 1992: November (ECM), with Peter Erskine feat. John Surman
 * 2000: Cat 'n' Mouse (ECM)
 * 2003: Class Trip (ECM)
 * 2006: The Third Quartet (ECM)


 * With Jean-Pierre Fouquey & Peter Erskine
 * 1986: Railroad (Cryonic Inc.)


 * With Gary Burton
 * 1988: Times Like These (GRP)


 * With Joe Lovano
 * 1988: Village Rhythm (Soul Note, 1988)
 * 1990: Landmarks (Blue Note)


 * With Paul Motian
 * 1990: Bill Evans (JMT, 1990)


 * With Enrico Pieranunzi
 * 1990: No Man’s Land (Soul Note, 1990)
 * 1990: Yellow and Blue Suites (Challenge, 1990, 2008 veröff.)
 * 1992: The Dream Before Us (Ida, 1992)
 * 1994: Untold Story (Ida, 1994)
 * 2000: Raconti mediterranei (EGEA)
 * 2003: Trasnoche (EGEA, 2003)
 * 2004: Les amants (EGEA, 2004)
 * 2006: Ballads (CamJazz, 2006)
 * 2008: As Never Before (CamJazz, 2008)
 * 2009: Dream Dance (CamJazz, 2009)


 * With Bob Mintzer
 * 1991: Hymn (OWL)


 * With Lyle Mays
 * 1993: Fictionary (Geffen)


 * With Pat Martino
 * 1994: The Maker (Evidence)


 * With Ralph Towner
 * 1995: Lost and Found (ECM)


 * With Dino Saluzzi
 * 1996: Cité de la musique (ECM)


 * With John Taylor
 * 2003: Rosslyn (ECM)


 * With Eliane Elias
 * 2000: Everything I Love (Blue Note, EMI Records)
 * 2002: Kissed By Nature (Bluebird)
 * 2004: Dreamer (Bluebird)
 * 2006: Around the City (RCA Victor)
 * 2007: Something For You: Eliane Elias Sings & Plays Bill Evans (Blue Note)
 * 2008: Bossa Nova Stories (Blue Note)
 * 2009: Plays Live ((Somethin’ Else/EMI))
 * 2011: Light My Fire (Concord Picante)
 * 2012: ''Swept away (ECM Records)