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Plas Johnson
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Plas Johnson (1931 to 2026) was an American tenor saxophonist in soul-jazz and hard bop, born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. He first sang in the family group until his father, also a saxophonist, bought him a soprano saxophone. He was largely self-taught and soon took up alto and later tenor saxophone. In the late 1940s he recorded in New Orleans with his brother, the pianist Ray, as the Johnson Brothers. In 1951 he toured for the first time with R&B singer Charles Brown. After his army service during the Korean War he moved in 1954 with his brother to Los Angeles.
Music and breakthrough
There he became a session musician, working for B.B. King and Johnny Otis, among others. In the mid-1950s he came to Capitol Records through Johnny Otis. For almost twenty years he was a leading studio musician, averaging two sessions a day. He played on records by Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, on rock 'n' roll singles by Duane Eddy and Ricky Nelson, on many recordings by the Beach Boys and for groups that existed only in the studio, such as B. Bumble and the Stingers and The Marketts. He appears in the 2008 documentary The Wrecking Crew.
Influence
His best-known achievement is the tenor saxophone solo in The Pink Panther Theme by Henry Mancini, recorded in 1963. Unlike many studio musicians, he became known by name. In this way he is an example of how a session musician shapes the sound of an era, without always being on the sleeve.
Listening
Discography
Studio albums
- 1959Mood for the Blues
- 1959This Must Be The Plas
- 1976The Blues
- 1993The Blues
- 1995Positively
- 1999Evening Delight
- 1999This Must Be The Plas
- 2001Keep That Groove Going!
- 2007Hot, Blue, and Saxy
- ?On the Trail!
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- The Dream Factory: Film Reel 4NL Reader
Mentioned in other articles
- Pop jazz, lounge and crime TV (Mancini school) Genre
Mancini then made the light, elegant jazz of Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), with the song ‘Moon River’, and of The Pink Panther (1963), with Plas Johnson's creeping tenor saxophone.