This Must Be The Plas! + Mood For The Blues (2 Lps On 1 Cd) + Bonus Tracks

Plas Johnson

Featuring: Plas Johnson (ts, as, bs), Larry Bunker, Gene Estes, Vic Feldman (vib), Paul Smith, Ray Johnson (p), Ernie Freeman (org), Howard Roberts, Bill Pitman (g), Red Callender (b), Earl Palmer (d), Gerald Wilson, Rene Hall (arr)

REFERENCE: FSRCD 818
BAR CODE: 8427328608183 
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During the late Fifties and early Sixties in the US the saxophone of Plas Johnson was a ubiquitous sound on radio. Known as “the horn behind the hits”, he was famous as the tenor sax on the celebrated 1963 “Pink Panther” main theme recording. Born near New Orleans, he moved to the west coast at a very young age and there launched a career that made him one of the most sought-after studio musicians on the Los Angeles scene, with a great reputation built largely on his remarkable ability to play any style of music with taste and restraint.

The two Capitol albums here epitomize this. On “This Must Be the Plas!” (1959), he is accompanied by three small groups with slight personnel changes, and although Plas is the main voice—on tenor, baritone and alto sax—everybody else in the group has his own solo space. “Mood for the Blues” (1960) features Plas on tenor with strings and rhythm, the tasteful arrangements of Gerald Wilson and René Hall forming a fine background for his solo work. Also included here is his first single for Capitol, including his smash hit The Big Twist and Come Rain or Come Shine.

His warm tone and naturally easy style is as greatly admired by other musicians as it is by jazz and pop music fans. It resulted in the kind of soulful, pretty and well-controlled sound that gave universal enjoyment.


Tracklisting:

01. Too Close for Comfort 
(Bock-Holofcener-Weiss) 2:59
02. I Hadn’t Anyone Till You (Ray Noble) 3:32
03. Heart and Soul (Carmichael-Loesser) 2:39
04. Poor Butterfly (Hubbell-Golden) 3:36
05. Memories of You (Blake-Razaf) 3:13
06. Just One of Those Things (Cole Porter) 2:16
07. There Is No Greater Love (Jones-Symes) 2:57
08. If I Had You (Shapiro-Campbell-Connelly) 3:11
09. My Silent Love (Suesse-Heyman) 3:09
10. Day In, Day Out (Bloom-Mercer) 3:18
11. My Old Flame (Johnston-Coslow) 2:53
12. S’il Vous Plait (Mark McIntyre) 3:24
13. Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Cryin’ 
(Joe Greene) 3:19
14. One Mint Julep (Rudolph Toombs) 2:53
15. How Long Has This Been Going On? 
(G.& I. Gershwin) 2:46
16. Blues in My Heart (Carter-Mills) 2:20
17. I’ve Got a Right to Cry (Joe Liggins) 3:56
18. Please Send Me Someone to Love 
(Percy Mayfield) 2:28
19. Tanya (Joe Liggins) 2:57
20. Fool That I Am (Floyd Hunt) 2:37
21. Chloe [Song of the Swamp] (Moret-Kahn) 2:41
22. Since I Fell for You (Buddy Johnson) 3:08
23. A Mood for the Blues (Ken Nelson) 2:23
24. I Wanna Be Loved (Green-Rose-Heyman) 2:17
25. The Big Twist (Plas Johnson) 2:26*
26. Come Rain or Come Shine 
(Harold Arlen-Johnny Mercer) 2:21*


Sources:

Tracks #1-12, from the album 
“This Must Be the Plas!” (Capitol ST 1281)

Tracks #13-24, from the album 
“Mood for the Blues” (Capitol ST 1503)

(*) Tracks #25 & 26 are bonus tracks
from the Capitol single F 3773



Personnel on "This Must Be the Plas!":

Plas Johnson and His Orchestra
Plas Johnson (ts, as on #10, bs on #2,8), Larry Bunker (vib on #1,4,7,10), Gene Estes (vib on #3,6,8,12), Vic Feldman (vib on #2,5,9,11), Paul Smith (p), Ernie Freeman (Hammond org on #1,2,4,5,7,9,10,11), Howard Roberts (g on #1,3,4,6,7,8,10,12), Bill Pitman (g on #2,5,9,11), Red Callender (b), and Earl Palmer (d).

Recorded at Capitol Tower Studios, Hollywood, March 11 (#1,4,7,10), 13 (#3,6,8,12) & 23 (#2,5,9,11), 1959


Personnel on "Mood for the Blues":

Plas Johnson and His Orchestra
Plas Johnson (ts), Ray Johnson (p), Ernie Freeman (Hammond org on #19,21,22), Rene Hall (g), Bill Pittman (g on #19,21,22), Red Callender (b), Earl Palmer (d) and strings. Gerald Wilson and Rene Hall (arrangements #19,21,22).

Recorded at Capitol Tower Studios, Hollywood, May 18 (#19,21,22,23), June 21 (#13,14,16,20) & 27 (#15,17,18,23,24), 1960


Personnel on Bonus Tracks:

John Anderson (tp), John Ewing (tb), Plas Johnson (ts), Jewell Grant (bs), Ray Johnson (p), Irving Ashby (g), Red Callender (b), Ed “Sharky” Hall (d), and vocal group. Ernie Freeman (arr).

Recorded at Capitol Tower Studios, Hollywood, on July 15, 1957



Original recordings produced by Buck Stapleton

This CD release produced by Jordi Pujol


Stereo · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered