I go to college with Alphonso right now. We're in the same keyboard class. Such a modest down to earth person for having played with so many legendary musicians.
Alphonso Johnson was the bass player for weather report before Jaco even came along. So who influenced who. Come on, all this talk about who is better listen to this guys playing. Jaco is a great bassplayer but lets not forget who pulled their frets out of their bass trying to sound lke this. They both are great bass players I love um both. This guy got no credit for being one of the best bass players in the world. Listen for yourself.
They were born the same year. They started playing about the same time. They started recording the same year. There's no use for saying the great AJ was "before" the great JP simply bc AJ was with weather report before JP was. :D that's silly. I don't know where you get that AJ got no credit. He is so respected by all bassists. AJ is awesome. Its just that JP is more awesome that's all.
@@okbookguy Jeez.. Alphonso was mainstream before Jaco was. Even Jaco sighted him as an INFLUENCE. Just give Alphonso his flowers, already! lol. Its a fact that Alphonso came before Jaco, because jaco had to emulate his sound and swagger when he left weather report to fill his boots. You think Zawinul and Shorter wanted Stanley Clarke or Marcus Miller playing bass for them After Alphonso left? Heck no. The fretless bass is the low-end SOUND of WR which shows how important Alphonso was to the operation. This is just a fact. Even after Weather Report, Zawinul hired Victor Bailey and Richard Bona thus keeping that Alphonso sound alive. See? Dont get me wrong. I love Jaco.. But I love history more and Jaco fans seem to be "Extra" when it comes to the history of the Electric bass.
Yeah, back in the 70's Alphonso was pretty close to being right there with Stanley and Jaco. Extremely, underrated. I think one of the greatest Jazz fusion bassist and composers!
Pretty close? Dude. Are you kidding? Alphonso wrote and performed on more instrumentals that got radio play than Jaco and Stanley combined. See, Alphonso knows how to play as a support and play as a soloist. Something Jaco and Stanley could not do so well. Even when they played WITH THE BAND, you could tell it was THEM playing. When Alphonso SUPPORTED the band, it was legit bass playing. Just go back and listen to everything he played on. You'll hear what im talking about.
Best frickin jazz fusion organist EVER!! Damn… he is so far advanced just MIND BOGGLING…just takes his solos so far out there but can bring it back EFFORTLESSLY… love his closer to it studio album… just the right amount of pushin it, not so intense as this live performance but that album is flawless… never saw him live but I’d pay top dollar to see him today… love him…total Monster Musician ❤❤❤
As a bassist myself, I often wondered how he played so well without anchoring his right thumb to any part of the bass (watch closely). I played fretless bass because of his influence on me along with Jaco.
Loved Jaco Pastorious very much, his timeless classic melodies no-one can take away from him - Teen Town, A Remark You Made, and the list goes on. But it must be said, this song Bahama Mama marks the first time EVER that I heard the fusion-jazz fretless bass sound played like this, and actually shaped my ears in readiness for Jaco and Weather Report's "8:30" odyssey.
The great Alphonso, an unsung hero, right up there, so mellow, you hear so much of him in the mighty Stan the man and JP. Never forget the great Pops Popwell also and umteen other brilliant bassists of the innovative 70's and 80's
14 years ago u genuinely expressed your love for this tune and artists - this week an internet show played game guessing what a video was about - a guy playing this bass line with his mouth - trying to figure what song it was from - now thousands of people are here to celebrate the same music you loved 14 years ago - i hope it makes you smile - it seems many of them loved it!
I actually did not come here from GMM, I came because the PatrickPoets video was in my recommended, saw Rhett and links comment, then saw a comment with the song name, and looked it up, ALSO, I was just about to get up and watch TODAYS GMM, as I’ve recently started watching them daily again, 10 minutes ago as of writing they uploaded, time to get up, make breakfast, and go watch some Good Mythical Morning.
People don't appreciate music like this anymore, look at the audience living in the moment enjoying the music and having an absolutely great time. Nowadays that place would be full of mobile phones, straight faces and no respect. P.S. Came here from GMM
Thanks for posting. Such a great bassist! I like how there are teases of "throwin' stones" about 6 mins in. Thanks--now I'll never get this out of my head!
He may have been " known' but Jaco put Fretless on the map WEATHER REPORT let him go after JACO came around, tells you how good JACO was. do your home work.
Great style. Wish we had more of this today. Garage A Trois are sorta doing it, but there's not a lot of great rhythm-section-led jazz bands. Alphonso Johnson was a groudbreaker.
Man these guys have been so great of an inspiration to me music is definitely the rhythms of life and to those that bang a gong will contribute more love and happiness please give a like or comment on this comment
Thanks for a great video showing a faultless Alphonso in action and for all the comments but please also remember Johnson recorded and played some great gigs with Santana from about 1985 until 1992 including awesome tour with Santana/Dylan
Probably my fav from the bassists that first came to prominence in the 70s. Alphonso didn't seem to get as much attention as Stanley and Jaco....that may have been because of his modest personality....but he is certainly every bit as innovative and technically as great as S & J. I never tire of this composition.
There was a version of this on a Montreaux Summit jazz compilation album. I wore the record out on this tune!. I am so glad to find this video! Thanks!!!!
I've seen Alphonso with Weather Report and Billy Cobham's band several times, got all his solo CD's. he is one of my favorites. Totally underrated. Total original player/composer. I wish he toured with a band doing the music from his first CD, that CD was off the hook!!
You may also want to change the band name from Bobby and the Midnights to Bobby and the Midnites (the actual name on the albums they released). Thanks for posting this gem. Saw them way back in the early 80s.
Ya, for awhile there I got distracted by Stanley and Jaco ( and more recently Anthony Crawford, Gary Willis , Victor Wooten , and the young guy working with McLaughlin, the list goes on and on )but when I go back and hear such a young player expressing his own style with such technical skill and just sounding GOOD I have to agree with you. Mysterious Traveler became my theme music ( and still is ) since I was 15 years old in 1975; fortunately I was surrounded by excellent musicians with discerning taste like yours
John Oullette I'm just a couple of years older than you, John, but I - like you - had musician friends who turned me on to all that kind of stuff as a teenager that opened up my mind and ears, and it stuck, for good. Out of all the music I've accumulated over the decades, I still listen to Mysterious Traveler probably once a week. Talk about "sticking"!
whoa , you ARE serious...I thought I was...But come to think of it, it's more a circumstance of being in a life where I can actually be separated from my beloved "Mysterious Traveler" rather than an indifference from overplaying. Zawinul and Shorter and of course a mega fantastic chemistry of mega fantastic musicians, created an incredibly timeless collection of poignantly pivotal ideas/feelings expressed through music on that release , if not all their releases; but yes, that one got me at a young age and influences me as well in the course of this illusion called my life dream that I seem to be having. Thanks for corroborating a rare experience my friend
Alphonso Johnson played with Weather Report two or three albums before Jaco had national recognition or acclaim. Not only that, but Alphonso was playing fretless bass before Jaco became nationally known with Weather Report. I think Alphonso may of had influence on Jaco and not the other way around? I just want to set the record straight!
Oh my goodness, he is playing that bass like he is singing lead vocals. That is how you play bass, it had to have melody, rhythm and certainly a heavy helping of groove. That solo spot is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard in my life. That is how it is done, At one point it sounds as if he is scatting, not like the pretentious scats of some jazz vocals but the ones who scat with a melody.
I think bass players are modest as a group, (jaco had bravado and the chops to back it up) but as a group they all seem like nice guys. who cares who's the best just enjoy the gifts they have left us. remember the chills they gave you or the little tear you hid from your friends. listen and enjoy. "music is the best" F.Z.
Yeah, I remember Fernando Saunders on John Mc Laughlin's Electric Guitarist albums. I think he was playing fretless or had a fretless sound bass. His sound and tone was very nice.
Loved Jaco Pastorious very much, his timeless classic melodies no-one can take away from him - Teen Town, A Remark You Made, and the list goes on. But it must be said, this song Bahama Mama marks the first time EVER that I heard the fusion-jazz fretless bass sound played like this, and actually shaped my ears in readiness for Jaco and Weather Report's "8:30" odyssey. I'm so glad I found this - reminds me of being fresh out of Flying School with the world at my fingertips - literally
I love it when he makes the ping pong ball sound. I wonder how he does it. Can it just be technique? Who knows. Another great bassist from my home town.
Oh man I´m so thrilled by finding this vid. Thanks a lot, i used to listen to this track on vinil down here in Brazil when i was about 16 and starting on the bass. Would you happen to have also the track where they play fried bananas? Thanks again!!!
Know that what you are looking at. Everyone is always taking about Jaco this Jaco that. I love Jaco to, but this guy was doing stuff like this before Jaco. Just know your history he played with Billy Cobham when he was a teenager. Before anyone ever heard of Jaco.
took the jaco style and gave it his own spin? ive got a ton weather report boots with aj on bass and have heard a lot of his playing post wr and i dont hear any jaco influence post 76. any cuts you could reference where we could hear it?
I believe AJ was Weather Report's first bass player, and Jaco followed him. You probably know that anyway, but to say "hegave the Jaco style his own spin" isn't giving Mr. Johnson his due.....
Have to agree , back in the 70,sI played the sh*t out of his Solo albums and Weather report. Another great player is Fernando Saunders ,very under rated as well .Check out his rig ,wow,full range in a SVT world.
Once upon a longago I've heard a version of this song, played by Alphonso Johnson and featuring John McLaughlin. Can anybody help me out with the name of the record?
Jaco said himself he's been influenced a lot ,bass-wise, by Jamerson, Rainey, Jemmott, Odum, Sherrell, Bootsy and also Mingus, Chambers, Carter, La Faro...When you listen to Cucumber Slumber off of W.R.Mysterious Traveller,don't you even just consider he might have been influenced by that ? I love Jaco's bass playing as much as most of the music he wrote and you can prefer him to Alfonso if that's what you feel but you can't claim he's not been influenced at all on bass...
