JOHNSON, PLAS

SAX 5TH AVENUE (+ ON THE SCENE)

Barcode: 8436559466981 / Cat: 11427 / 1 CD / Label: ESSENTIAL JAZZ CLASSICS DIGIPACK

Born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana in 1931 (he is 87 at this writing), soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist Plas Johnson is most widely known as the sax soloist on Henry Mancini’s “The Pink Panther Theme”. Johnson recorded profusely both as a leader and with a variety of different groups. Presented here are two rare quintet albums which he originally issued for contractual reasons under the pseudonym “Johnny Beecher”: Sax 5th Ave. (MGM Records/CRC Charter CLS 102), and On the Scene (MGM Records/CRC Charter CLS 104). The title track of the first album, “Sax 5th Avenue”, was also issued as a single, billed as “Johnny Beecher and His Buckingham Road Quintet” and made its dent on the charts at # 65 Billboard Pop Hot 100. That song was backed on the single with “Jack Sax the City”, from the same sessions, which has been added here as a bonus.