This Must Be the Plas
1. Too Close for Comfort
2. I Hadn’t Anyone Till You
3. Heart and Soul
4. Poor Butterfly
5. Memories of you
6. Just One of Those Things
7. There is No Greater Love
8. if I Had You
9. My Silent Love
10. Day In, Day Out
11. My Old Flame
12. S’il Vous Plait
Plas Johnson – Tenor sax, alto sax, baritone sax
Larry Bunker
– Vibes (tracks 1, 4, 7, 10)
Gene Estes
– Vibes (tracks 3, 6, 8, 12)
Vic Feldman
– Vibes (tracks 2, 5, 9, 11)
Paul Smith
– Piano
Ernie Freeman
– Hammond organ (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9-11)
Howard Roberts
– Guitar (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6-8, 10, 12)
Bill Pitman – Guitar (tracks 2, 5, 9, 11)
Red Callender
– Bass
Earl Palmer – Drums
Mood for the Blues
13. Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Cryin’
14. One Mint Julep
15. How Long Has This been Going On
16. Blues in my Heart
17. I’ve Got a Right to Cry
18. Please Send Me Someone to Love
19. Tanya
20. Fool That I Am
21. Chloe
22. Since I Fell for You
23. Mood for the Blues
24. I Wanna Be Loved
Plas Johnson – Tenor sax
Ray Johnson – Piano
Ernie Freeman
– Hammond organ (tracks 19, 21, 22)
Rene Hall – Guitar
Bill Pitman – Guitar (tracks 18, 21, 22)
Red Callender
– Bass
Earl Palmer - Drums
Bonus Tracks
25. The Big Twist
26. Come Rain or Come Shine
Plas Johnson - Tenor sax
John Anderson – Trumpet
John Ewing – Trombone
Jewell Grant – Baritone sax
Ray Johnson - Piano
Irving Ashby – Guitar
Red Callender – Bass
Ed “Sharky” Hall – Drums
Plas Johnson is best known for his tenor sax solo on Henry Mancini’s Pink Panther Theme. Listening to this album, it is easy to understand why
Mancini chose Plas to play on his composition. Johnson’s saxophone has a smooth, furry tone and he can bend notes so that he reflects the slinky movements
of a panther on the prowl.
Plas grew up in New Orleans, but it was on the West Coast where he became a studio musician very much in demand for his ability to play anything with style
and grace. That style is evident throughout all 26 tracks of this generous CD (75 minutes’ worth). The CD comprises two LPs: This Must Be the Plas
from 1959 and Mood for the Blues from 1960, plus two bonus tracks from a single recorded for Capitol in 1957.
Plas is well supported by a variety of small groups on the first LP, where the other main soloists are the vibes players, who all contribute good solos.
Ernie Freeman adds discreet touches on the Hammond organ at appropriate moments but he is never overwhelming. Pianist Paul Smith beginsPoor Butterfly with a suitably oriental opening. But the main focus is on Plas Johnson, who mostly plays tenor sax but switches to the alto on Day In, Day Out and the baritone sax on I Hadn’t Anyone Till You and If I Had You. His alto style is jaunty and his baritone
playing has a nice gruff sound.
Plas plays equally well on the second LP, although the string-laden backing makes for a less jazzy ambience than on the first LP. But it enables Johnson to
show his skill at playing such ballads as Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Cryin’ and Since I Fell for You. Yet he could also play in raunchy
rhythm-and-blues style, as he does on his first hit single, The Big Twist.
As this album shows, Plas Johnson wasn’t only “The Pink Panther Man” but a musician of great versatility.
Tony Augarde
www.augardebooks.co.uk