Born on this day ...

[Ruby]

Alphonso Johnson was born on this day in 1951, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He is a bassist and worked as a session musician before bagging himself a place in Weather Report’s line-up following the departure of Miroslav Vitous. Not too shabby, landing a spot with those fusion giants at the tender age of 22! He’s played with a range of artists across the rock/jazz/fusion spectrum and released three or four solo albums as well as having taken on the role of teacher, conducting clinics and seminars all over the world, while also serving as an adjunct instructor at the University of Southern California and California Institute of the Arts.

He is known for his fluid, innovative style – he started out playing the double bass, but soon moved on to the electric bass (and acoustic) and the Chapman Stick, of which he is a master. 



He’s on albums by Billy Cobham, Rod Argent, John McLaughlin, Wayne Shorter, Santana Stanley Clarke, Steve Hackett and Phil Collins, to name a less than comprehensive handful. 

From Collins’ Face Value – “This Must Be Love” … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiBpWhtENXk

From his first outing with Weather Report, Mysterious Traveller – “Cucumber Slumber” … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3sBSHEivzs

And from a collaborative live album Alivemutherforya, his composition, “Bahama Mama” …