Alphonso Johnson Archives

Julien’s Music Icons auction will include historic basses played by Krist Novoselic, Alphonso Johnson, John McVie, and others.

Legendary bassist Alphonso Johnson shares stories from Weather Report and Phil Collins—and the mindset that fuels a lifetime of great playing.

Alphonso Johnson and Jazz is Dead have confirmed a June outing called the “Right Outside This Lazy Summer Home” tour. The band reimagines Grateful Dead songs in a jazz context.

In this episode, Paul Thompson digs into a huge hit from 1983 and the iconic bass line that carried it. George Duke, Steve Ferrone, and Alphonso Johnson bring the funk on “Stay With Me Tonight” by Jeffrey Osborne.

Jazz Is Dead announced a new set of tour dates that will begin a celebration of the Grateful Dead tribute act’s 25th anniversary. The current lineup of the band includes Steve Kimock, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Pete Lavezzoli, and Alphonso Johnson.

Kevin sent me this incredible video of Alphonso Johnson‘s band performing Mongo Santamaría’s “Afro Blue,” which was popularized by John Coltrane. This was a new group Alphonso formed earlier this year - and what a killer band it is!

As a Philadelphia native, there’s a lot to live up to as a bass player. Stanley Clarke, Christian McBride, Jaco Pastorius, Gerald Veasley, Gail Ann Dorsey, Victor Bailey, and our latest bass player to know, Alphonso Johnson, all hail from the City Of Brotherly Love. Heck, you may even say that bass playing is “in the water” (pronounced “wooder”). With...

Here’s a great old clip of the Carlos Santana/Wayne Shorter Group performing the Santana tune “Deeper, Dig Deeper” at Pori Jazz in 1988. Laying down the groove is the one and only Alphonso Johnson. Such great footage.

One of the major highlights for me at the 2015 NAMM Show was finally getting the chance to meet the great Alphonso Johnson. Alphonso deserves way more credit than I think he gets – in my opinion and many others. Going back through the wealth of music he’s been a part of just offers up more proof, including this 1975...

Juan Alderete shared this on his Facebook page a while back, saying only “this leaves me speechless.” I feel about the same way. Filmed in Montreux in 1976, this clip captures the kind of energy you just don’t see in every band. Alphonso Johnson holds down the low end with tight yet lyrical playing before taking a tasty solo at...

Columbia Records “Complete” box set series rolls on this summer with the introduction of another Weather Report-focused release. Weather Report: The Complete Columbia Albums 1971-1975 kicks off with the legendary group’s original line up, anchored by bassist Miroslav Vitous, and ends up the group’s second incarnation, with bassist Alphonso Johnson. The set packages together remastered versions of Weather Report’s first...

In 1976, a relatively unknown bassist by the name of Jaco Pastorius joined Weather Report as a full-time member – an event that brought unprecedented commercial success to the six year old band. Jaco’s impact wasn’t limited to Weather Report either. It was during this same year his solo album debuted – an album which redefined the electric bass in...