Todd Johnson
Todd Johnson is recognized as a pioneer of the six-string bass. With his signature model Zon TJ6 six-string bass, Johnson uses an innovative technique where he plays chord changes and bass lines simultaneously, giving him an uniquely rich and fuller sound that proves extremely useful in both solo and small combo work.
As an integral member of the critically acclaimed jazz trio of guitarist Ron Escheté, Johnson excels as both a supporting musician and a seasoned soloist. He is consistently cited for his contributions of skill, originality, and versatility, as well as his ability to sound as if he is simultaneously playing bass and rhythm guitar. Zan Stewart of the Los Angeles Times writes that Johnson's six-string bass along with Escheté's seven-string guitar "give the musicians an amazing range of sounds and approaches." The group is repeatedly hailed as the trio that sounds like a quartet.
In 2004, Johnson joined forces with acclaimed bassist and singer Kristin Korb to form The Kristin Korb/Todd Johnson Trio. Get Happy, their debut CD produced by Johnson, features Korb on vocals and upright bass, Kendall Kay on drums, and Johnson providing the chordal structure and solos on his 6-string electric bass.
In addition to his work with the Ron Escheté Trio and Kristin Korb, Johnson has performed and recorded with other artists including Mike Stern, Dave Weckl, Scott Henderson, Barbara Morrison, Plas Johnson, Sam Most, Lew Tabackin, Jack Sheldon, Joe LaBarbera, Frank Potenza, Larry Koonse, Kendall Kay, Jennifer Barnes, Kate Reid, Tierney Sutton, Poncho Sanchez, Mundell Lowe, Paul Humphrey, and Frank Gambale.
As an integral member of the critically acclaimed jazz trio of guitarist Ron Escheté, Johnson excels as both a supporting musician and a seasoned soloist. He is consistently cited for his contributions of skill, originality, and versatility, as well as his ability to sound as if he is simultaneously playing bass and rhythm guitar. Zan Stewart of the Los Angeles Times writes that Johnson's six-string bass along with Escheté's seven-string guitar "give the musicians an amazing range of sounds and approaches." The group is repeatedly hailed as the trio that sounds like a quartet.
In 2004, Johnson joined forces with acclaimed bassist and singer Kristin Korb to form The Kristin Korb/Todd Johnson Trio. Get Happy, their debut CD produced by Johnson, features Korb on vocals and upright bass, Kendall Kay on drums, and Johnson providing the chordal structure and solos on his 6-string electric bass.
In addition to his work with the Ron Escheté Trio and Kristin Korb, Johnson has performed and recorded with other artists including Mike Stern, Dave Weckl, Scott Henderson, Barbara Morrison, Plas Johnson, Sam Most, Lew Tabackin, Jack Sheldon, Joe LaBarbera, Frank Potenza, Larry Koonse, Kendall Kay, Jennifer Barnes, Kate Reid, Tierney Sutton, Poncho Sanchez, Mundell Lowe, Paul Humphrey, and Frank Gambale.
Get Happy
On their debut collaboration, highly esteemed acoustic upright bassist/vocalist Kristin Korb and 6-string electric bass pioneer Todd Johnson have released Get Happy, a trio recording comprised of twelve classic jazz standards and three original compositions. Along with drummer Kendall Kay, Korb sings and plays traditional jazz bass lines on acoustic upright while Johnson outlines the harmony with richly textured chord voicings on his Yamaha 6-string electric bass. Korb's bass lines bounce, her solos swing, and her voice sets the new standard amongst female jazz vocalists. Not to be outdone, Johnson's sophisticated chord melodies are unrivaled amongst his contemporaries. In past performances as an integral component of the critically acclaimed Ron Escheté Trio as well as a solo bassist, Johnson has demonstrated that his innovative bass playing style is anything but traditional. Here, Johnson continues with that forward-thinking approach. Throughout this recording, Johnson's guitar-like chordal accompaniment style is reminiscent to that of the legendary jazz guitarists including Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, and Ron Escheté. Johnson's guitar-like performance is so convincing that as a listener, if you were not made aware that Johnson was not a jazz guitarist, you would never to able to decipher the difference. The production quality of this recording is superb. Even though this project features two musicians playing low frequency instruments, the sonic spectrum is never muddied and the distinct tonal characteristics of each instrument are never sacrificed. With all the underlying positive energy heard on this entertaining project, you simply can't listen to this recording and not get happy. A complete track listing includes: "I'm Old Fashioned", "Top Of The World", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", "If You Never Fall In Love With Me", "Moon River", "Sunshine & Slim", "Cheek To Cheek", "Wonder Why", "Get Happy", "You Don't Know What Love Is", "Goin' Home", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Everything Happens To Me", "Blues For Hellen", and "When You're Smilin'." By combining one of today's premier jazz vocalists/upright players with an inventive virtuoso 6-string electric bassist, Kristin Korb and Todd Johnson have created one of the most truly unique recordings in contemporary jazz.
A Solo Offering
On his debut outing as a leader, bassist Todd Johnson presents us with A Solo Offering, a compilation of jazz-influenced, multi-tracked bass orchestrations. By combining simple, well-known Christian-based melodies with his sophisticated knowledge of complex harmony and rhythm, Johnson has put together an intricate collection of lyrically inspired arrangements. If you can't immediately identify these titles by name, you'll surely recognize them by melody. Johnson's own unique, distinctive style which he has developed over the years as a long-time member of the critically acclaimed Ron Escheté Trio is anything but conventional. With his midi-equipped six-string Yamaha bass, Johnson is often heard laying down a bass line, comping chords, and playing melodies simultaneously. While some solo bassists may choose to record these parts individually, Johnson, in many cases, is actually assuming the roles of bassist, organist, and seasoned soloist all at the same time. Johnson covers all the instrumentation heard on this project with just his six-string bass. What is truly amazing about this recording, from a sonic perspective, is that excluding the few tracks which are arranged with percussion and string parts, Johnson was able to record multiple loops with only his six-sting bass and successfully maintain clarity throughout the entire project. Johnson's bass tone is simply pristine, his virtuoso solo explorations are to be revered, and his improvising skills are second-to-none. A complete track listing includes: "At the Cross", "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", "Mary Did You Know", "The Old Rugged Cross", "My Jesus I Love Thee", "Soon and Very Soon", "His Name is Wonderful", "Silent Night", "How Great Thou Art", "Great is Thy Faithfulness." Bottom Line: By combining years of technical innovation with imagination and a truly dedicated vision, on A Solo Offering Todd Johnson proves that there is much more to playing bass than just playing bass.
The Essential Guide To Electric Bass Technique
In an effort to correct the most common technique-based problems experienced amongst his students, Todd Johnson has released his second instructional DVD, Technique Builders. As an instructor, Johnson has demonstrated his concepts to students at leading musical institutions in California, during bass clinics throughout the United States, and in private lessons since the early 1990's. In this DVD, Johnson troubleshoots the problems inherent to playing the electric bass. He addresses the mechanics involved in playing the instrument in the most efficient manner possible by eliminating wasted motion and reveals how you can control the shape, attack, decay, and articulations of the notes you play.
Through an organized method, this DVD is divided into four separate sections. Following a brief introduction outlining the general purpose of the content within the DVD and the benefits of utilizing good technique, Johnson begins by discussing some of the basic and most often overlooked variables involved in playing electric bass such as the angles of the wrists, the height at which the bass is strapped on, and setting the strap at a consistent length for both standing and sitting positions.
In the second portion of his course, Johnson focuses on principles including left hand posture, finger placement, the right hand, the floating thumb concept, right hand muting technique, as well as playing with a light right hand touch and right hand placement considerations.
After establishing the fundamental guidelines contained within the first couple of segments, Johnson moves onto a series of exercises that are split into two additional sections. In the first group of exercises, Johnson discusses the significance of warming up and stretching in order to build strength, independence, and dexterity between each of the fingers. He also presents a series of exercises he calls two-finger combos, a shifting drill, a supportive fingering exercise, an exercise regarded as the x-drill, and exercises he refers to as bouncing fifths. In the last section of the DVD, Johnson outlines six more collections of exercises comprised of the spider, octaves, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and ghost notes.
As with his previous instructional DVD, Johnson's Technique Builders is extremely structured, well-produced, and provides multiple camera angles with lots of close-ups which allows you to really get inside the techniques and view his hands from different positions. Following a link specified on the DVD, you can also review several of the exercises in both standard notation and tablature by downloading supplemental PDF files from Johnson's web site.
The Bottom Line
Regardless of your current playing level, previous experience, or the style of music you prefer to play, Todd Johnson's Technique Builders will assist in establishing a solid foundation in becoming a well-rounded bassist and save you hours of frustration in not being able to play something accurately due to the lack of proper technique. It is the perfect starting place for beginners who have just picked up the electric bass and also for those self-taught bassists who are seeking to resolve bad habits that have been inadvertently formed over the years.
Release Date: January, 2006
Running Time: 107 Minutes
Street Price: $40.00
Artist Contact: ToddJohnsonMusic.com
Reviewed By: Cliff Engel - April 1, 2006
Through an organized method, this DVD is divided into four separate sections. Following a brief introduction outlining the general purpose of the content within the DVD and the benefits of utilizing good technique, Johnson begins by discussing some of the basic and most often overlooked variables involved in playing electric bass such as the angles of the wrists, the height at which the bass is strapped on, and setting the strap at a consistent length for both standing and sitting positions.
In the second portion of his course, Johnson focuses on principles including left hand posture, finger placement, the right hand, the floating thumb concept, right hand muting technique, as well as playing with a light right hand touch and right hand placement considerations.
After establishing the fundamental guidelines contained within the first couple of segments, Johnson moves onto a series of exercises that are split into two additional sections. In the first group of exercises, Johnson discusses the significance of warming up and stretching in order to build strength, independence, and dexterity between each of the fingers. He also presents a series of exercises he calls two-finger combos, a shifting drill, a supportive fingering exercise, an exercise regarded as the x-drill, and exercises he refers to as bouncing fifths. In the last section of the DVD, Johnson outlines six more collections of exercises comprised of the spider, octaves, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and ghost notes.
As with his previous instructional DVD, Johnson's Technique Builders is extremely structured, well-produced, and provides multiple camera angles with lots of close-ups which allows you to really get inside the techniques and view his hands from different positions. Following a link specified on the DVD, you can also review several of the exercises in both standard notation and tablature by downloading supplemental PDF files from Johnson's web site.
The Bottom Line
Regardless of your current playing level, previous experience, or the style of music you prefer to play, Todd Johnson's Technique Builders will assist in establishing a solid foundation in becoming a well-rounded bassist and save you hours of frustration in not being able to play something accurately due to the lack of proper technique. It is the perfect starting place for beginners who have just picked up the electric bass and also for those self-taught bassists who are seeking to resolve bad habits that have been inadvertently formed over the years.
Release Date: January, 2006
Running Time: 107 Minutes
Street Price: $40.00
Artist Contact: ToddJohnsonMusic.com
Reviewed By: Cliff Engel - April 1, 2006
Walking Bass Line Module System: Vol. I - Triad Modules
Acknowledged for his innovative approach to playing the 6-string bass as a seasoned performer with the critically-acclaimed Ron Escheté Trio and also recognized as a highly-regarded clinician, Todd Johnson has packaged years of experience into his first instructional DVD series, The Walking Bass Line Module System: Vol. I - Triad Modules. In volume I, Johnson dissects a collection of triad-based modules that can be used in building walking bass lines.
After defining basic terminology and discussing fundamental music concepts such as strong beat/weak beat theory, essential bass line requirements, and the three components of walking bass line construction, Johnson demonstrates how his in-depth system works through a series of 25 different modules consisting of roots, thirds, fifths, octaves, and half-step approaches from above and below these scale degrees. Two additional modules comprised of roots, thirds, fifths, and sevenths are included near the conclusion of the program that offer a glimpse towards the direction of volume II of this series.
Besides illustrating his module system to a backing track of chordal accompaniment and drums on a simple 12-bar blues form that is utilized throughout the duration of the course, Johnson offers suggestions regarding how you can employ his approach on the classic jazz standard, Autumn Leaves. He also specifies resolution and quarter note rules, turnaround tips, thoughts on using open strings versus playing closed tones, right hand placement, and how his method will improve your skill to hear chord changes.
Unlike most other walking bass line methods, Johnson's system really excels in that the ability to read standard music notation is not required in order to learn the material because it's entirely based upon the memorization of bite-sized, 4-digit note arrangements that anyone can easily digest. If you are interested in reviewing the modules in standard notation as well as trying to replicate a live performance situation, you can download supplemental PDF files and MP3 play-along tracks directly from Johnson's web site. Johnson states that his approach can be learned through approximately 3-6 weeks of diligent practice, and then once you have a basic understanding of how the concepts work, it is just a matter of taking the triad modules and inserting them in chord changes as they are presented to you in songs.
The Bottom Line
For less than the cost of a single, private lesson, you receive instruction from one of the best jazz bassists in the business that you can review for years to come. Todd Johnson's Walking Bass Line Module System: Vol. I - Triad Modules is a logically-organized, easy-to-understand system that guides you step-by-step through the tools required to create solid, functional walking bass lines.
Release Date: August, 2005
Running Time: 80 Minutes
Street Price: $40.00
Artist Contact: ToddJohnsonMusic.com
Reviewed By: Cliff Engel - February 1, 2006
After defining basic terminology and discussing fundamental music concepts such as strong beat/weak beat theory, essential bass line requirements, and the three components of walking bass line construction, Johnson demonstrates how his in-depth system works through a series of 25 different modules consisting of roots, thirds, fifths, octaves, and half-step approaches from above and below these scale degrees. Two additional modules comprised of roots, thirds, fifths, and sevenths are included near the conclusion of the program that offer a glimpse towards the direction of volume II of this series.
Besides illustrating his module system to a backing track of chordal accompaniment and drums on a simple 12-bar blues form that is utilized throughout the duration of the course, Johnson offers suggestions regarding how you can employ his approach on the classic jazz standard, Autumn Leaves. He also specifies resolution and quarter note rules, turnaround tips, thoughts on using open strings versus playing closed tones, right hand placement, and how his method will improve your skill to hear chord changes.
Unlike most other walking bass line methods, Johnson's system really excels in that the ability to read standard music notation is not required in order to learn the material because it's entirely based upon the memorization of bite-sized, 4-digit note arrangements that anyone can easily digest. If you are interested in reviewing the modules in standard notation as well as trying to replicate a live performance situation, you can download supplemental PDF files and MP3 play-along tracks directly from Johnson's web site. Johnson states that his approach can be learned through approximately 3-6 weeks of diligent practice, and then once you have a basic understanding of how the concepts work, it is just a matter of taking the triad modules and inserting them in chord changes as they are presented to you in songs.
The Bottom Line
For less than the cost of a single, private lesson, you receive instruction from one of the best jazz bassists in the business that you can review for years to come. Todd Johnson's Walking Bass Line Module System: Vol. I - Triad Modules is a logically-organized, easy-to-understand system that guides you step-by-step through the tools required to create solid, functional walking bass lines.
Release Date: August, 2005
Running Time: 80 Minutes
Street Price: $40.00
Artist Contact: ToddJohnsonMusic.com
Reviewed By: Cliff Engel - February 1, 2006
Selected Discography
Todd Johnson - Electric Bass
Kristin Korb - Acoustic Bass
Kendall Kay - Drums
Release Date - 2004
Record Label - GraceBase Productions
Kristin Korb - Acoustic Bass
Kendall Kay - Drums
Release Date - 2004
Record Label - GraceBase Productions
Todd Johnson - Solo Bass
Release Date - 2002
Record Label - GraceBase Productions
Release Date - 2002
Record Label - GraceBase Productions
Ron Eschete - Electric Guitar
Todd Johnson - Electric Bass
Kendall Kay - Drums
Release Date - 2006
Record Label - RevJazz Music
Todd Johnson - Electric Bass
Kendall Kay - Drums
Release Date - 2006
Record Label - RevJazz Music
Todd Johnson, recognized for his innovative approach to playing the 6-string bass and as an in-demand clinician, shows you how to control the shape, attack, decay, and articulations of the notes you play in a logical, organized, and concise method in his latest instructional DVD series. In Technique Builders, Johnson demonstrates right and left hand ergonomics, right hand muting, supportive fingering, string skipping, floating thumb technique, shifting, hammer-ons and pull-offs, as well as how to play ghost notes on electric bass. This DVD is ideal for beginners who want to learn things right the first time and also for the self-taught bassist hoping to fix bad habits that have been unintentionally picked up over the years.
In his brand new instructional DVD series, The Walking Bass Line Module System, Johnson takes the "mystery" out of learning to play walking bass lines by breaking techniques down into small, bite-size pieces that anyone can easily digest. In Volume 1, The Triad Module System, Johnson outlines the strong beat/weak beat theory, ear training (playing what you hear), blues changes, "Autumn Leaves" changes, major and minor triads, chromatic approaches from above and below, and helps you put together a solid, organized practice plan.
On Friday Nite Jam, Todd Johnson demonstrates his unique approach to playing 6-string bass. Along with guitarist Rich Severson and drummer Gary Newmark, Johnson performs several standards of the jazz repertoire including "Fried Pies," "Autumn Leaves," "On Green Dolphin Street," "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To," and "Sugar."
