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Ode to Jef Lee Johnson: The Promise of Lovolution

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As to stories: too numerous to remember. He was a pure musician. Every time he picked up his instruments, it was to seek truth. We all know that musical categories are meaningless. No one personifies this more that Jef, for he always elevated the music regardless of style or category. We were so close as friends, and played so much together, but in actuality our musical backgrounds were very different. But he taught me that when we played it was all just music and none of that other nonsense mattered. That being said, I remember him yelling at me during one gig that if I called "Giant Steps," he'd kill me!

Trish—Patricia V. Johnson—was a fantastic musician in her own right. Her principal instrument was baritone saxophone, but she also excelled at flute and accordion! She can be heard playing those instruments on Jef's records (On Hype Factory, she plays flutes on "Conventional Wisdom" and accordion on "Bye, Bye," "No, No...(reprise)" and "Movin' On.") [Note: Trish also appears on Jef's albums St. Somebody, Things Are Things, and Black & Loud.] She was in various Philly bands including a fine ska band called Ruder Than You, an all-woman saxophone quartet called Winds of Jazz, and a big band called The Elevators. She taught and also enjoyed playing accordion for old folks in retirement homes and care facilities. She was a beautiful person. —Ben Schachter





Jef's not an easy person to talk about. He's the ultimate musical chameleon. Nobody that I've ever worked with was able to get inside of things as stylistically invisibly as Jef. Nobody. I've worked with a lot of the greatest living musicians in the world, and none of them could do what Jef did. Jef was just a freak. A total freak. There was no one like him.

Jef had a pentatonic funky simplicity mated with an avant-gardist's sense of searching and a jazz cat's manual dexterity. When it came time to do the Rediscovering Lonnie Johnson project, Jef was the only person I could imagine that embodied the kind of eclectic, genre- bending spirit of Lonnie himself.

Unlike lesser talents who were better ass kissers and sycophants, Jef resolutely put art above commerce every single day of his life. He didn't suffer fools gladly and if he sensed insincerity and a traitorous disregard for honesty in art he packed up his axe and strolled out the door. In New York or L.A. that kind of behavior doesn't endear you to kingmakers and power players who want you to be an obedient little slave...

Adam Guth and I worked with Jef on Gutbucket as well as a few bands and projects that preceded that group. We spent countless hours, playing, writing and rehearsing at my house, Jef's, Adam's and in rehearsal spaces and studios around the region. We played many, many, many shows together for a long time. Always magical. Jef would show up and he would be all sour, downcast. By the time the gig was over he'd be laughing and joking and goofing around. Music always brought Jef back. You'd do a gig with Jef, and whatever little money you would cobble together, Jef would say, "Oh it's cool, it's cool," and then on the ride home he'd say, "Pull over to the gas station," and he'd fill up your tank with gas, take you out to dinner, and he'd end up with nothing. And he'd say, "Thank you." I mean what kind of person is that, man? The dude was a saint. There's no other way to put it.

I felt inspired to establish the scholarship in Jef's name, at the Germantown branch of the Settlement Music School. So I'm encouraging anyone that considers themselves a friend of Jef's to contribute to it. No one that was a friend of Jef Lee Johnson's has any excuse as to why they are not ponying up to help a scholarship in Jef's name to support a young musician who doesn't have the money to take guitar lessons in Germantown.

Jef Lee has cast off this mortal coil and each of us that loved him is grieving but Jef was not a musician, he was music itself and as we all know music goes on forever. —Aaron Luis Levinson



Listen to the title cut on Jef's Hype Factory. The solo is unreal. Not at all a heavy distortion workout. It is a masterclass in straight up funk swag. Each idea is a perfect little composition, each one a statement. The one at 3:24 kills me. It's like he just wipes his hands with anyone who ever thought they were funky. And he just keeps going because he could do it for days. Jef's sense of funk always cut to the bone. That's because he WAS funk. It didn't matter what genre he was playing. He could be playing with a singer-songwriter whose music had nothing to do with funk and he would always play the perfect shit. And always, somewhere in there, maybe just a little note bend in a certain spot, Jef made sure the funk entered the building. He understood the spiritual implications of that. That's how I approach the drums as well. It's why he and I got along so well. That he saw it in me is my greatest honor and inspiration.

He can also out Steely a Dan. On Longing Belonging Ongoing, check out TV People and Gods Gone By. Beautiful transcendent songwriting.

We'd come off a gig and I'd say, "I saw you smiling, Jef." He'd say, with a twinkle in his eye, "That wasn't a smile, that was grimace." I'd say, "You can't fool me. You had some fun!" He'd grumble, "Yeah, yeah," in that 'whatever' tone but I could see him smiling again out of the corner of my eye in the dark of the car.

Jef was always supportive of anything I was trying to do. He would come and play gigs for pennies. He would always be right in the moment, playing as if it was the most important gig in the world. Then on the drive home, he would insist on buying me food and filling my gas tank, thereby exhausting his night's pay. I would thank him profusely and he would say. "No, thank YOU." No, thank YOU, Jef.

People will talk about what a great musician he was and it will be too little too late. It was Jef the human being that made all that music possible. It was the soul of the man. —Adam Guthrie





I first saw Jef Lee in play 1992. I had recently moved to Philly from my hometown of Spokane, WA. A housemate suggested we hop on our bikes and go to a club called 40th Street Underground in W. Philly to see some crazy band. It was Gutbucket (Jef Lee, Ace Levinson, Ben Schachter, Adam Guth, Jamaaladeen Tacuma). The most raw, insanely funky and ripping music I'd ever heard live. What was coming from the stage brought my mind to a complete halt and shot me, like a cannon, into outer space. The guitarist was astounding. He was Hendrixy, but had a sound and a reach that I'd never heard before. Completely original, steeped in blues and sonically punishing. You could follow every line he played as if on a roller-coaster. Musically, I felt like I'd been handed a compass, but the needle was spinning out of control in every direction. And I wanted to follow it.

He was a master. His pocket and musical authenticity were mesmerizing. Jef was mysterious and could be dark and introspective. But he was incredibly humble and gracious. When he smiled, the whole world brightened. These encounters solidified for me the notion that true greatness was tempered with humility. —Kevin Hanson



Jef Lee Johnson moved seamlessly through the traditions of the blues, r&b jazz and freeform, treating them all as one extended language yet housing those ideas cleverly in a pop structure format that allowed it to travel well. Jef Lee's music carries the sonic signifiers that one's ear is accustomed to if you're aware of the rich arch of important American music. One can hear Wattstax, Texas Blues, Memphis blues , Prince, Wes Montgomery, Hendrix with a twinge of the rural heartland.

Yet he still possessed that wide perspective that stretched from the chaotic surges, reminiscent of Sonny Sharrock superimposed over verses filled with playful, bitter, sweet irony.

His chordal movements have a sentimental touch to them, yet stay firm and never fall into the syrup bowl. Above all he is a voice on guitar who left a body of cleverly crafted songs that used popular forms to express intimate and urgent messages. —Jean-Paul Bourelly



Jef Lee Johnson aka Rainbow Crow, you've made your wings and you took your flight to the stars. Our sadness is immense. But we know that you do not really left us, and if we know how to listen, you'll receive in each musical note in each silence. We will dedicate the next festival, Jef, from the bottom of our heart. Peace and respect. —L'équipe de Sons d'hiver (Team Winter Sounds)



He was really full of music, that's for sure. Many people just saw him as sort of a Jimi Hendrix-ish kind of player, which was not what I felt... Jef was much more in tune with a sort of Coltrane idea... in fact I could feel more of the Jimi Hendrix thing when he was singing. We were talking about making another album, soon, "Letters from Jef Lee Johnson to Robert Johnson." —Jean Rochard



Jef was the man. A transcendental talent and human being. The world is a better place for his having been here. My world, personally, is a much better place for his having been in it. He was a musical big brother to me. I'm sad he's gone. I'm glad he's at peace though... because if anyone deserved some peace, he did. —Steven Wolf



I still can't believe Jef is gone. Just like that. Gone! MY FRIEND & BROTHER WHO JUST HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THE GREATEST MUSICIANS TO EVER CREATE MUSIC ON THIS PLANET. There's not enough room here to elaborate on all great times and experiences we shared together @ recording sessions, on stage, going camera shopping, just hanging @ his crib or mine... JEF was not only one of the best musicians in the world but he was a total gentlemen. On stage or off, what you got from JEF was real! NO PRESERVATIVES!! —Ted Thomas, Jr.



"Jef Lee Johnson is a gift from God," that's what Ronald Shannon Jackson told me once during an interview. Vernon Reid described him as "Good, hardcore good, and he can sing." Jef's passing is a huge loss for all of us that ever had a chance to witness his gift and experience his charming wit, and an even larger loss for those still to be touched by his legend. Jef and his music was, is and will forever be a bright moment. —J. Michael Harrison





Jef was as unique an artist as he was a human being. He was true to himself and with people. Jef was always inspired.

It's a rarity to see a musician play so many instruments at a high level and create everything from the ground up himself (recording, mixing, mastering, CD cover, video clips, flyers...).

Jef was a Griot, a Poet, a Messenger. All you have to do is listen to his lyrics to understand how deep he was.

How can an artist of this quality and vast musical experience be forgotten in the shadows? I think that's what makes Jef so special. He deserved so much more than he ultimately received.

Honestly, Jef Lee Johnson was the BEST the music has to offer.

His music and immense body of work will continue to spread all over the world. —Stefany Calembert & Reggie Washington

All he wanted was some good energy & folks enjoying his music. ... He got NO love. That's right! He said; "Watch what happens when I'm dead"!! Death shouldn't be a reason to tell of someone's accomplishments & greatness as a musician. We need that to go on in this hard & heartless business ! What about Jef ? We can be philosophical & say he can hear it all now from above. Cold facts; my Brutha got no love... & he wanted that. He deserved that. Better late than never ?? That ain't right !! Don't sweat it Jef. I told you every time we played during our 25+ year friendship. —Reggie Washington

Few journalists wrote about Jef's music and I've tried to spread his music for 6 years. Now that he is gone, you see articles everywhere in the world about him. ... Jef & I were speaking on the phone often and for hours, and he was saying : "Watch when I'll be dead, they'll start speaking about me !." He was right... So sad.

I wish people were smarter, more curious and with more heart. You have to wait for somebody to die to say I loved him, I miss him, he was wonderful! FUCK THAT! Show him or her love when he/she is ALIVE ! SCREAM IT !!! That's what Jef needed... RECOGNITION. He needed that so bad.

It's important that people know that Jef was very sad about this lack of recognition.

Honestly, if he had more attention ... I am sure he would take care better of his health and of himself. That was an every day suffering: "so much work and no recognition."

I think this business & the way people can be killed him morally and it didn't help his health.

What Jef wanted is that his music is heard, the rest he didn't give a damn. Music was the only thing he had after Trish (his wife).

When I asked Jef, what can I do for you? He said I want to play my music. Nothing else. —Stefany Calembert



One of the most gifted and humble musicians I ever met.... I am still trying to wrap my head around this. But after having a little time to reflect, as sad as I am, I honestly think that Jef is happier now. At least I hope he is. As unbelievably gifted as he was, and as humble as he was, and as kind as he was, he was also unbelievably sad. We are all blessed that he has left his legacy behind through his music, ...I will work to make sure that he is not forgotten.

He had canceled the show at the end of December, just after doing a show in New York City, when nobody came out to see his band. He told me he wouldn't be playing his original music live again. —Fern Brodkin



Bet you the real lyrics are; "Don't f*ck with my excellent day!" Holla... —Reggie Washington

But you know Jef never swore. —Rob Reddy



Jef was on a VERY short list of absolute must see players ... such a luminous talent, one who was an under-appreciated legend here on Philadelphia. While people state the importance of straight-ahead (more or less) Philly exponents like Pat Martino, Steve Giordano, Benson, and others, Jef boldly mutated, morphed, and transcended boundaries all over the place, meanwhile getting little to no cred in the "guitar music" community in America. He is much better appreciated abroad, not surprisingly.

Cornell Dupree, Jimi, Miles, Sonny Sharrock, Jef covered the whole earth of guitar style possibilities, and was totally soulful even when skronking out! —Bob Barnett





Jef Lee Johnson was so many things. To those of us in the D'Angelo camp, Jef Lee was an amazingly gifted guitarist who toured the world in 2000 as a member of the Soultronics and just last year brilliantly substituted for Jesse Johnson in our current band, the Vanguard— becoming one of only two musicians to appear in both bands.

A gentle musical giant, it always struck me that Jef Lee was "cursed" with so much imaginative creativity that he couldn't be constrained by the r&b and pop genres. Left to his own devices, Jef Lee's talent soared beyond his guitar strings into uncharted territory. He was sadly under-recognized by the general public but the music world lost a major force and we lost a friend. Jef Lee's survivors and friends are in our prayers. —Alan Leeds



I can give you my impression about George Duke Orchestra in Montreux. It was in 2000. Jane Birkin with Sacem organized a "Tribute to Serge Gainsbourg." Eleven French singers came for this. We were doing a small movie about Salif Keita. The Malian singer came for the rehearsal in the hotel where Duke and friends were staying. We stayed two hours in a small room, with the whole orchestra. It was wonderful. I spoke a long time with George Duke. I remember Jef Lee Johnson, sitting close to George, with his orange Strat. I asked him what kind of effects he used with his guitar. He answered me as if I knew him for a long time. GD made special arrangements of Gainsbourg songs. So, when they started playing with Salif Keita, "Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais," it was a new song, really. Salif's voice from Africa with West Coast arrangements. Simply magic... Jef Lee was playing a rhythmic part, very softly, very jazzy. I remember Jef as a quiet, serious and very kind man. —Frédéric Jouve



The first time I heard him, he was playing electric bass with Bootsie Barnes. This was back in the mid-80s. I first played with him on a jazz gig in West Oak Lane. John Scofield was the 'hot' guitarist on the major scene at the time, which was the late 80s. I remember thinking, this cat Jef is just as badd, maybe badder. Fast forward. Jef played a gig with me on my wedding night over seven years ago at Ortlieb's Jazzhaus. I don't think he looked at my music before. He played a solo on a tune of mine, where he just totally nailed the vibe of it. I never heard anyone play my music that way. A couple of years after that gig, Jef and I were hired to play with a 4-piece black male vocal group out of Vegas called Spectrum. They did Motown and Philly stuff. Jef really handled that gig well. He even had the 'sitar' guitar that was used on some Philly hit songs. We played at the Kimmel Center with the Philly Pops Orchestra. We talked quite a bit during that run. He was very open about everything he'd been through. He was complimentary about my playing, and expressed a desire to 'do something' in the future. I told him that he should have played with Miles Davis. I told that to another monster black guitarist, Ron Jennings. Jef was ahead of his time. I think some folks were hating on his enormous talent and musicianship. He did some great stuff, but should have done much, much more. He should have been a household name, as far as guitarists go. Now, after his death, he just might become that. —Mike Boone



His musical depth challenged and influenced me, and I'm sure many other musicians right away and still does. His genuine and honest disposition and willingness to share with less capable musicians was an extension of that honesty. And as a friend he was again genuine and honest and kind. ...Jef would have laughed at all of this especially heartfelt quotes. —Michael Elia



Mark Knox (keyboardist/composer/recording engineer who now lives in Toronto) & I (along w/ other musicians who eventually parted ways and moved back) had relocated from Indianapolis IN to Philly. I guess around 1978, in the search for a "perfect" bassist who could both swing and also play "progressive" straight-8th stuff, we were introduced to Jef by Lee Mergner (now publisher of JazzTimes but was booking/promoting us back then). After we played our first tune (probably an original by Mark Knox) together at a rehearsal, I'll never forget Jef looking at me and saying "You must have had a very disturbed childhood." This is the kind of humor Jef possessed, which was off-putting to many, but to me I realized right then and there I had met a kindred spirit. He was a great bassist (to which Jamaaladeen Tacuma also can attest), but kept insisting "we should hear him play guitar." Needless to say when we did, I was absolutely floored. We played together a lot in various situations in addition to him playing bass in his unique way (he seemed to inhabit the spaces other bassists would leave out, while still somehow completely fulfilling the requisite bottom function of the bass) with our band. In turn, Jef introduced us to Gerald Veasley for the bass but often— if the particular gig paid enough—he'd still always be added on guitar.

Unbelievably prolific, Jef would deliver everything completed and mostly play everything himself, which honestly was kind of both intimidating and inspiring to me as a drummer. Occasionally on his projects for Dreambox Media, he'd usually have a guest artist or two on certain tracks (his late wife Trish appears a lot) and live he preferred a basic trio setting. He had his own elaborate home studio and definitely knew his way around that process of recording, mixing and mastering as well as he did his instrument(s).

About "Monkey Zero," that was an earlier attempt to distance himself (for whatever reason) from "Jef Lee Johnson." The advisory warning re: "EXPLICIT CONTENT" (for an all-instrumental CD) is one of many brilliant things Jef came up with that I wish I would've thought of first. Anyway, he later parlayed that misterioso avoidance of using his actual name into the persona "Rainbow Crow," and on the most recent "Black & Loud" chose to even reduce that moniker to "a/k/a R.C." and insisted his real name appear nowhere on the product. Combined with a nearly indecipherable cover, probably NOT the way to promote yourself or move CDs...but that was Jef!!!

Jef was truly one-of-another-kind. In a perfect world, he would have been as widely known as Hendrix, Prince and Stevie Wonder. All he wanted to do was make music and it quite literally poured out of him, but he didn't care so much about the 'biz' side (as is often the case with serious artists). Plus he had the "total recall" superpower... seemed everything he'd ever heard was saved in memory somehow... and not limited to music. He could quote whole episodes of dialog (while doing the characters' voices!) from films and TV, and every time I talked to him—no matter how long it'd been between conversations— it was like we were just taking up where we left off from the last time. Jef was a very genuine, creative, funny and intelligent spirit. I'll miss his laugh most of all. —Jim Miller, Dreamboxmedia.com



Jef Lee Johnson was not only an amazingly innovative guitarist, but a songwriter of the highest order. After meeting him and having the experience of his playing/recording on my most recent CD, my producer Glenn Barratt informed me that Jef Lee had his own recordings. He has quite the discography. I embarked on buying as many as I could. I was blown away at his songwriting. His songs are incredible. As well, Jef Lee with few exceptions played ALL OF THE INSTRUMENTS. And he played them brilliantly. His production sense was genius. I was lucky to get to know Jef some as we performed live on a few occasions as well as having recorded together. Jef Lee was all about the music. There was an instance where I did not have a lot of money to pay him for a television performance. His response to me was "keep your money." This is something I'll never forget. Most musicians (and not of Jef Lee's calibre) are never benevolent in this regard.

I emailed Jef Lee often picking his brain about his songs whenever I picked up another CD of his. His sense of harmony was amazing, in particular his guitar harmony/voice-leading. While usually not a man of many words by way of emails, on several occasions he'd be specific and write a few paragraphs. On one song "Today" from his recording "Things Are Things," I'd told him I wanted to record the song but was having a hard time figuring out the movement of the chords, the harmony. I asked to meet with him so he could show me what he'd done. His response to me was "make it your own." Thing is, what he did with the song is so beautiful I wanted to replicate. You can't ever "replicate" Jef Lee Johnson. He is one of a kind. —Lili Añel



But something was so deeply wrong when we were in the studio the last time [around 1st week of January 2013]. We played, recorded, ate corn chips and waited to talk... when we did, he was barely keeping it together... all I could do was keep hugging him and saying "We all luv you, let us luv you." He told me the story about his collapse... how Chaka found him and took him to hospital. We spoke about Roy Hargrove. He said Roy was super keen to keep sure Jef was doing ok— they had been in hospital at the same time. —Deb Silver



I'm sure everybody's talking about his genius, I can definitely piggyback that. He was a genius, god-like guitarist. He's played on so many things with me and my sister, and we never finished some things, you know, we're just all musicians doing music. He definitely was a genius musician, not just guitar, I love his bass playing, his writing, his singing, everything, I loved it all. He's been in my life for years. We've been playing together on and off in different situations. Time goes by and next thing you know somebody's not here. He's one of my favorite musicians in my lifetime. I was blessed to play with him.

Everything happens for a reason. There's so much talent, and those who know know, and that's all that really counts. There are so many artists who are unknown, or only their family and friends know them, and they didn't become whatever. But what you become is not really what counts. Because if people focus on that kind of shit they're actually missing the beauty and the power and the honesty of the person. That might have been his struggle, but those of us who knew him and appreciated him were happy to hear whatever we heard, or whatever he offered, and he touched us. And I let him know that. That's what counts. And he thanked me for letting him realize that. Everybody has an opinion, and my opinion is that the political PR shit don't mean shit. It doesn't mean nothin' to me, somebody's Grammy or whatever. But if you're happy with yourself, living for yourself, if you're enjoying playing—which he did, he really did. —Jerry Barnes



We are very deeply saddened by Jef's sudden death and we are very grateful for the many outpourings of love and appreciation for him and his work.

Memories about Jef growing up are a little blurry at the moment however a few things stand out:

When he was a child he tried to do magic tricks; not very good but very funny (maybe in retrospect he was developing his manual dexterity and slight of hand for the guitar).

He would stay in his room and practice guitar all day—all day. He would come out of his room and make these sandwiches he called "lizard rolls" and go back into his room and keep practicing. (We never got any explanation about why the sandwiches were called "lizard rolls"— they had nothing to do with either lizards or rolls; they were actually double-decker ham on toast.)

I think my parents knew he was a special talent early on and gave him a lot of room to be who he was—the one time they suggested he get some sort of graduate degree in case the performing thing didn't work out, Jef said he would not teach; he would either play or nothing at all. My parents didn't bring it up again.

He always had great sense of style.

I don't know much about the order of his recordings especially the early gospel work... I wasn't around very much at that stage of his career. Jef was an amazing guitarist from the beginning and as his career began to take shape it wasn't a real surprise... it was just a natural outcome of those days of solitude and lizard roll sandwiches.

—JoAnne Johnson & The Johnson Family

Painting Jeff Schlanger, musicWitness.com

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