R.I.P. Howard Johnson

Tuba Virtuoso Extraordinaire Dies at 79

(Howard Johnson, Tuba Man With The Band, Taj Mahal, Dies | Best Classic Bands)

‘Howard Johnson, perhaps the best-known tuba player in contemporary jazz for the past several decades, died January 11, 2021, at his New York home, following a long, unspecified illness….’

— Via Best Classic Bands

Somehow I had missed his passing, but thanks to abby for bringing it to my attention. Johnson’s funky dynamism drove some of the best tunes of a couple of my longest-term mainstays Taj Mahal and The Band over the top.