Smokey Johnson
| Smokey Johnson | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joseph Johnson |
| Born |
November 14, 1936 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | October 6, 2015 (aged 78) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, funk, blues, soul, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | Mid-1950s–1993 |
| Associated acts | Fats Domino, Wardell Quezergue, Dave Bartholomew |
Joseph "Smokey" Johnson (November 14, 1936 – October 6, 2015) was an American drummer. He was one of the musicians, session players, and songwriters who served as the backbone for New Orleans' output of jazz, funk, blues, soul, and R&B music.
Born in 1936 in New Orleans Johnson was raised in Tremé, where he attended Craig School and Clark High School. He played trombone before switching to drums at age 12. Around age 17 he began playing in local dance clubs.
Johnson served as the drummer for Fats Domino in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1961, Johnson and Wardell Quezergue worked together on the session for Earl King's proto-funk classic, "Trick Bag", produced by Dave Bartholomew. Soon after, Johnson went with Quezergue and childhood friend Joe Jones, and several other New Orleans artists (including Johnny Adams and Earl King) to audition for Motown in Detroit, where they recorded numerous demo sessions. Earl King once remarked that at least part of the reason why they got in the door was Motown's fascination with Smokey Johnson, who could do more on a trap set by himself than any two of the label's session drummers. Although Motown ended up not signing any of the New Orleans artists, Johnson offered to remain on staff while the other New Orleans artists were dispatched. Johnson remained in Detroit for several months before deciding to return home; but his influence on the Motown sound was profound, as the other drummers studied his techniques, incorporating them into countless hit sessions.
In 1963 and 1964, Dave Bartholomew enlisted Johnson for his last two Imperial big band albums, giving Johnson the spotlight on the tune, "Portrait Of A Drummer", from New Orleans House Party. In 1964, about a year after Nola Records was formed in New Orleans, Quezergue, a partner in the label as well as principal producer/arranger, invited Johnson to be the drummer for label's house band. After a few months, Johnson and Quezergue wound up writing and recording what has become a New Orleans Mardi Gras standard called "It Ain't My Fault". Deftly arranged, "It Ain't My Fault" is a fascinating early example of both Johnson and Quezergue incorporating Second Line syncopation into pop music. The arranger's device of starting off with just the drummer's relaxed but intricate percussive work (plus somebody hitting what sounds like a glass bottle) quickly pulls the listener into the song, even before the simple musical hook, played by just the guitar and piano. George Davis runs the guitar riffs on the first side with that recognizable style made famous several years later on Robert Parker's "Barefootin'".
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