Sy Johnson

Sivert Bertil Johnson Jr. He also worked with the Lee Konitz Nonet, among others. His work with Mingus is his best-known.

Life and career Johnson was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on April 15, 1930. He first performed with Charles Mingus in 1960 at the Showplace,

In 1971, eleven years later, Mingus climbed the stairs to Emile Charlap's copying office, home to many great arrangers, and before he left, he gave Johnson Let My Children Hear Music to arrange, which featured two Mingus pieces, "The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife (Are Some Jiveass Slippers)" and "Don't Be Afraid, the Clown's Afraid Too". The album's emergence was heralded with a live concert, Mingus And Friends At Philharmonic Hall, also arranged by Johnson and released as an album. Johnson continued to work with Mingus until his death from Lou Gehrig's disease in 1979. Mingus recorded two of Johnson's compositions, "Wee" and "For Harry Carney", and nominated Johnson for a Guggenheim Award following his own in jazz composition. Johnson continued to work with Sue Mingus arranging charts for all the Mingus repertory ensembles—Mingus Big Band, Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty.

Discography As sideman Rod Levitt, The Dynamic Sound Patterns (Riverside, 1964) Rod Levitt, Insight (RCA Victor, 1965) Rod Levitt, Solid Ground (RCA Victor, 1966) Dick Sudhalter, Melodies Heard...Melodies Sweet (Challenge, 1999)

As arranger With Craig Handy Reflections in Change (Sirocco Music, 1999)

With Charles Mingus Let My Children Hear Music (Columbia, 1972) Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert (Columbia, 1972) Mingus Moves (Atlantic, 1973) Changes Two (Atlantic, 1974)