Phillip Johnston: alto saxophone
Peter Farrar: alto saxophone
Tim Clarkson: tenor saxophone
James Loughnan: baritone saxophone
Saxophone Special is a contemporary saxophone quartet playing a diverse repertoire, ranging from jazz and contemporary classical to tangos and waltzes, with a special focus on quartet arrangements of the music of Steve Lacy.
The photo is from a recent site-specific performance at the Power UP! Festival at the Inner West’s White Bay Power Station.
Phillip Johnston and the Greasy Chicken Orchestra
Phillip Johnston: soprano sax
Peter Farrar: alto sax
Tim Clarkson: tenor sax
Jim Loughnan: baritone sax
Peter Dasent: piano
Tim Rollinson: banjo
James Greening: sousaphone
Nic Cecire: drums
The Greasy Chicken Orchestra has finely tuned their brand of swinging 20s/30s jazz in a two-year residency at Sydney’s Foundry616, featuring some of Sydney’s finest musicians as they celebrate the music of New Orleans and beyond. With a focus on early Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton, tunes include such early jazz classics as South Rampart Street Parade, Muskrat Ramble, and Frog-I-More Moore Rag. The band is led by Phillip Johnston, an American saxophonist/ composer who lives in Sydney while still maintaining a musical life in his hometown of New York City.
In 2023, the GCO released its first recording on Earshift Records, entitled I Cakewalked With A Zombie (Earshift 081). The recording includes both original arrangements of classic tunes of the 20s & 30s, and original tunes by Phillip Johnston that pay homage to that era.
You can listen to/purchase the recording on Bandcamp here.
Streaming services here.
“Johnston has always understood that jazz’s history is a rich resource rather than a liability, and with this band he immerses himself almost completely in this era of energised and good-humoured dance music . . . a nuanced and blended sonority, combined with an emphasis on pinpoint arrangements and concise solos.” – John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald (27 Apr 2016)
Playing With Monk is jazz duo of piano and saxophone, focused around the music and influence of jazz iconoclast Thelonious Monk.
This project for the two veteran composer/instrumentalists consists of a unique repertoire drawn from the iconic compositions of Thelonious Monk, both the well-known and the obscure, as well as original tunes both new and old from the two composers’ catalogues that are inspired/influenced by Monk’s work.
The music is swinging, bluesy and spiky, as Monk would have liked it.
News Flash! : Click this link for more information about their latest project:
Jazz Goes To The Movies.
They are co-leaders of the early jazz repertory band The Greasy Chicken Orchestra, who are in their 7th year of regular performances at Sydney’s Foundry 616. Johnston’s New York band The Microscopic Septet’s 2010 recording Friday The 13th: The Micros Play Monk (Cuneiform) was given 4 stars, made an Editor’s Pick and called ‘a love letter to Monk’ by Downbeat Magazine.
This new duo is the latest in a long history of collaboration between Dasent and Johnston on new and inventive projects that combine originality and a deep love of the breadth of jazz history.
Video clip: Playing With Monk plays Monk’s Locomotive
Jazz Goes To The Movies is a special project of Playing With Monk.
Dasent and Johnston perform jazz interpretations of beloved themes from classic Hollywood films.
Phillip Johnston: soprano, alto saxophones
Paul Cutlan: alto saxophone
Sandy Evans: tenor saxophone
Andrew Robson: baritone saxophone
In the 2000s, the unique Australian saxophone quartet, with Phillip Johnston, Andrew Robson or Paul Cutlan, Sandy Evans and Nick Bowd, played a series of memorable gigs at festivals and clubs in Sydney and recorded the Rufus Records CD Boggy Creek Bop, which was praised domestically and internationally. In 2020, the group is beginning again, with a small juggle of personnel, and is now available for performances.
Boggy Creek Bop was the debut release from SNAP, an Australian saxophone quartet which can jump from fiery improvisations to complex written music at the drop of a beat. Their music encompasses bop, free jazz and world music, as well as a few styles that don’t have names yet. But it’s joyous and energetic, and appeals to both the emotions and the intellect.
The group features New York expatriate Phillip Johnston, and three of Sydney’s finest saxophonists: Sandy Evans, Paul Cutlan, and Andrew Robson. Their combined C.V.s include work with the Australian Art Orchestra, The catholics, Clarion Fracture Zone, MARA!, Guy Klucevsek, Gary Lucas, The Microscopic Septet, James Morrison, Mike Nock, ROVA, Mikel Rouse, Sousaphonics, Art Spiegelman, Lou Reed, Ten Part Invention, Gest8, & John Zorn. Individually, they have toured Australia, Asia, Europe, the U.S. in various combinations.
Listen to the SNAP play Sandy Evans’ Street Party
The centrepiece of the CD is Five Portraits of Bellingen, a new work by Sandy Evans which evokes the sights and sounds of the NSW north coast. It pays tribute to the Gumbanggyir, the indigenous people of the Bellingen region and combines bebop, blues and African High Life in a uniquely Australian way . Phillip Johnston’s contributions to the CD draw on his extensive history in film scoring and Third Stream music. The CD also includes pieces by legendary classical/New Music accordionist Guy Klucevsek, and Allan Chase’s imagined meeting of Julius Hemphill and Howlin’ Wolf.
John Shand, in the Sydney Morning Herald, described their appearance at the 2007 Jazz: Now Festival at the Sydney Opera House as, “creating sonorities from the Ellingtonian to the spiky,” and music writer John Clare called them “full of early jazz quirkiness, impressionism and modernity…”
Listen to the SNAP play Guy Klucevsek’s’ Bar Talk
The New York City Jazz Record says: “SNAP, a Sydney-based saxophone quartet, combines the firepower of four animated musical personalities – Phillip Johnston, Paul Cutlan, Sandy Evans and Nick Bowd (playing soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxes, respectively) – with the compositional prowess of Johnston (best known for his work with the Microscopic Septet) and Evans. Space prevents full elaboration of the merits of Boggy Creek Bop, their debut, but suffice to say that the writing is brilliant, combining a sophisticated mix of unisons, chorales, solos, counterpoint and free-blown sections, which transition organically and come alive through the dynamic playing of each hornist. High points include Evans’ “Urungatang” and the title track, both part of a longer suite.” (Tom Greenland)
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Tight Corners: Phillip Johnston & Jex Saarelaht play the music of Thelonious Monk, Herbie Nichols and Steve Lacy
Phillip Johnston has led Phillip Johnston & the Coolerators since moving to Australia in 2005. After a 2-year lay-off (while focussing on the Greasy Chicken Orchestra, New York’s Microscopic Septet, ‘Page of Madness: Suite from Improvisers’ and touring Wordless!), beginning in 2018, he will be focussing on the group as his main performing vehicle.
The band brings together two of Australia’s most internationally acclaimed touring musicians, Alister Spence (Alister Spence Trio, Clarion Fracture Zone, AAO) and Lloyd Swanton (The Necks, the catholics) with one of Sydney’s most in-demand rhythm section players, Nic Cecire. The music covers a range of styles but avant organ jazz is at the centre of it.
“….consumate musical artists, they present a unique style of jazz performance that is relaxed, smooth, and eloquent with phrasing that bursts forth intricate improvisations in jazz and swing with a splattering of funk that is all class – for the uninitiated and jazz aficionados alike a delight to imbibe.”
–Peter McGill, SoundPet
“It is jazz played with some true wit… freely drawing on all styles of music to create quirky, cartoonish pieces, coloured with chirpy melodies and unexpected moments of poignancy.”
–John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald
Phillip Johnston: soprano, alto saxophones
Alister Spence: organ
Lloyd Swanton: bass
Nic Cecire: drums
The Microscopic Septet are widely considered one of the most important and unique bands to come out of the New York Downtown scene of the 1980s. Never sufficiently contained by a single category, the Micros—co-led by by soprano saxophonist Phillip Johnston and pianist Joel Forrester—formed during a remarkable period of musical experimentation and quickly distinguished themselves as a raucously fun, musically adept, and wickedly clever jazz band.
“The past is a big place filled with music. Some players cling to it like a security blanket; others fool themselves that they can invent new sounds out of thin air. The smart ones use the past as a resource: an infinite library from which to steal any number of hooks and probably make a clean getaway. But borrowing from the past is different from wallowing in it, and hip modernity springs from the subtlest tweak of something old. That’s the game the Microscopic Septet plays. Although you might variously hear echoes of Duke Ellington, Sun Ra or Louis Jordan, the compositions by pianist Joel Forrester and soprano saxophonist Phillip Johnston suddenly dart up unforeseen alleys, like the past is chasing with sirens screaming. Even more than the compositional quirks, what ensures their escape is the players’ characters oozing from the music – and it’s a fun ooze. Now, 34 years on, the Microscopics have their own past to cannibalise; their own bones to spit out. The result? One of the most distinctive sounds in contemporary jazz.”
– John Shand / The Sydney Morning Herald
“seminal, brilliant post-modern jazz”
– Downbeat Magazine
“one of the most distinctive sounds in modern jazz.”
– John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald
Phillip Johnston: soprano sax
Don Davis: alto sax
Mike Hashim: tenor sax
Dave Sewelson: baritone sax
Joel Forrester: piano
Dave Hofstra: bass
Richard Dworkin: drums
The Microscoptic Septet: Been Up So Long It Looks Like Down To Me: The Micros Play The Blues Released on…
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The Silent Six is the band that performs with Wordless!
“While this was have-a-good-old-timey music, that spirit belied its complexity and the long-developed rapport of the sextet in performing it…” –Andrey Henkin, THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD, Page 4 JULY 2019
In Wordless!, The Silent Six turn on a dime between 20s jazz, New Music, tango, avant garde styles and film music in order to accompany the 15 graphic sequences in the show. Now, whenever possible, the band has been performing on its own, playing music that unites all of Johnston’s historical musical vehicles. Almost all of these great players are band leaders in their own right (except for Hofstra, the preeminent sideman) and bring their own unique musical personalities to this widely varied music.
From a recent article in New York City Jazz Record by Ken Dryden: (Jan 2019)
“There are many jazz clubs to choose from when visiting New York City, but seasoned fans should make Smalls a high priority. It lacks fancy decor but its main focus is creating an intimate listening environment: minimal conversation, good acoustics and great musicians. Johnston brought a mix of new and old compositions for his only U.S. booking last month. He alternated between soprano and alto saxophones throughout both sets, joined by bassist Dave Hofstra and baritone saxophonist Michael Hashim, both old friends and fellow veterans of The Microscopic Septet. The band also included Joe Fiedler, the trombonist from Fast ‘N Bulbous; Neal Kirkwood, a pianist who often subbed in the Transparent Quartet; and drummer Rob Garcia.
A lot of Johnston’s music is inspired by traditional jazz, but adds frequently dissonant, witty solos and unexpected twists. A rollicking rendition of Jelly Roll Morton’s “Frog-I-More Rag” took the early master’s music into the 21st Century without losing its essence. “Regrets #17”, which came from the aforementioned Diggin’ Bones CD, was a swaggering blues shuffle with terrific interplay between Johnston and Hashim. “The Dream Detective” added a second baritone saxophonist, Dave Sewelson, another Micros alum. It was fun to hear early Duke Ellington works like “Awful Sad” played with such enthusiasm, showcasing Hofstra at length. “Planetella Rock” was a perfect closer, a hip Johnston blues interpreted with lots of soul by the band.”
And here is a link to the Jazz Lives website, with some video clips from that gig.
The band began around 1991, and played originals and covers arranged by Johnston, as well as music by Ruddick, Norton, Swell and DeBellis. They recorded three CDs: two for Black Saint, and one for Avant.
They performed Johnston’s score for Tod Browning’s The Unknown, and performed, among other places, in Rome’s Teatro Verdi, and Florida’s Disney World.
Really, why should this music be called avant-garde? Should a band as gloriously fun as Phillip Johnston’s Big Trouble really be given a stylistic label equated by many with either difficult art music or deadly serious free jazz? Yes, in the ’90s jazz world, the enormously engaging saxophonist/composer and his band of accomplished musical pranksters definitely fell on the avant side of things, but that was more a reflection of the sorry state of the mainstream, in comparison to which, of course, any era’s avant-garde is defined.
“Throughout the recording, Johnston and his cohorts prove that “accessible” needn’t be a dirty word, even in the avant-garde world. If you’ve got ears on the sides of your head, this CD’s for you.”
– AllMusic.com
Phillip Johnston: soprano, alto saxophone
Steve Swell or Jim Leff: trombone
Rob DeBellis: baritone/soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, alto flute
Joe Ruddick: piano, keyboards, sampler
Dave Hofstra: bass
Kevin Norton: drums
Joel Forrester: piano
Phillip Johnston: soprano saxophone
Joel Forrester and Phillip Johnston met in 1974 on East Tenth Street in New York City’s East Village when Joel wandered into Phillip’s apartment, after hearing him practicing Monk’s “Well You Needn’t” from the street. Since that time they have played in trios, quartets, septets, and most notoriously in The Microscopic Septet, which they co-lead. But during the past 35 years they have always continued to play as a duo.
In November of 2010, Joel Forrester and Phillip Johnston embarked on a short tour of the West Coast to promote the Microscopic Septet’s CD Friday The 13th: The Micros Play Monk (Cuneiform Rune 310). They did radio interviews, and played gigs as a duo, as they had for years, and as part of the promotion of the record played Monk tunes, including ‘Well You Needn’t’. They really didn’t need an excuse, as they had been playing Monk tunes since they first began playing together in the early 70s.
Well You Needn’t (Monk)
Nov 26th 2010 was a special night at The Hillside Club, in Berkeley, California. Despite almost missing the gig after being trapped in San Francisco in a street rally by Critical Mass, they arrived just a little late, and, leapt on stage and began playing. Fortunately the evening was recorded by the artistic director, Bruce Koball (whose day job happens to be as a recording engineer), because it turned out to be a good one.
Bunny Boy (Forrester)
Jazz Times called it, “a masterpiece of intimacy, empathy and synergy“.
“Leaving their buddies behind, the masterminds behind The Microscopic Septet pair up for what promises to be a telepathic duet.”–The New Yorker
“After what seems like a gillion years together, pianist Forrester and saxophonist Johnston have fashioned a rare rapport, and their new duet disc, Live at the Hillside Club, teems with a well-rendered wit and flows with fraternal accord.” –Jim Macnie, The Village Voice
“Joel Forrester (piano) and Phillip Johnston (soprano) have a gift for composing quirky yet unforgettable songs. . . No matter what configuration a band may have, the presence of Forrester and Johnston guarantee memorable music.” –Ken Dryden, New York City Jazz Record
“Mr. Johnston is a fine soloist who brings poignancy and poise to these songs. Mr. Forrester’s playing is refined yet economical, sounding as if he is drawing from a wealth of styles and traditions. Even the four Monk covers are done with both craft and reverence and filled with little surprising twists.
This disc is one of the most laid back and enchanting offerings we’ve listed in recent memory.” –Bruce Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
“Well You Needn’t is creepy fun expertly done, Pannonica direct yet relaxed and unselfconsciously beautiful, and with Epistrophy, they let its carnivalesque quality speak for itself rather than being caricaturish.”–Lucid Culture
“. . . an intense and enjoyable record. It treats the roots of the mainstream in an unexpected way and sincerely pays tribute to a composer like Monk for whom the two musicians have an unconditional love. The original compositions, instead, are all by Forrester, with the exception of “Splat”. . . there is also more than a moment of pure inspiration and successful strength.“–All About Jazz Italia (best of 2011)
Contact: phillip@phillipjohnston.com
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