Cee Pee Johnson

Cee Pee Johnson
Making his regrettably belated but highly impactful first credited screen appearance in Mystery in Swing (1940).
Background information
Birth nameClifton Byron Johnson
Also known asC. B. Johnson, prior to Mystery in Swing (1940);[1][2][3][4] Byron Johnson, on 1946 Gladys Bentley session[5][6]
BornFebruary 21, 1910
Marshall, Texas, U.S.[7]
DiedAfter October 1954
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresJazz, Afro-Cuban jazz, Blues
Occupation(s)Composer, arranger, bandleader, singer
Instrument(s)Drums, piano, guitar,[5] banjo[1]
Years active1929–1954
LabelsApollo Records, Atomic Records, Black & White Records[8]

Cee Pee Johnson (born Clifton Byron Johnson,[9][10][11] February 21, 1910[7] – after October 1954)[12] was an American jazz composer,[13][14] bandleader,[15][16] singer and multi-instrumentalist.

Early life and career

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Johnson was born in Marshall, Texas in February 1910 and raised in Algiers, New Orleans.[a] He first appeared in published sources in Dallas early in the 1930s, billed as C. B. Johnson, playing in his brother Bert Johnson's band The Sharps and Flats. Johnson danced and sang with this ensemble, and also played banjo and tom-toms.[1][19]

He moved to Los Angeles in the middle of the decade, and played with Emerson Scott's band at the Onyx Club in Hollywood. He eventually became the group's bandleader, and played at several high-profile West Coast clubs, including the Paradise Club,[2] the Del Mar Club (1940), the Rhumboogie,[20] and Billy Berg's Swing Club.[21] His sidemen included Teddy Buckner, Karl George, Buddy Banks, Marshal Royal, Jack McVea, Johnny Miller, and Buddy Collette. His backup drummer was Alton Redd. The ensemble appeared in many films, and was active until at least 1954;[22] he toured South America in 1953.[23]

Johnson worked as a sideman with Slam Stewart and Slim Gaillard on their Slim and Slam sessions.

Filmography

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All entries drawn from Library of Congress except where otherwise noted.[24]

Notes

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  1. ^ Although at least three retrospective sources give his birthplace as Algiers and/or New Orleans,[17][9][18] the birth certificate dated February 21, 1910 indicates that, at the time of his birth, Johnson's parents had temporarily migrated to Marshall in search of cotton-related seasonal employment.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Now: Bert Johnson and His Sharps and Flats". El Paso Times. November 27, 1933. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "The Paradise Club Presents Gladys Bentley, 'Peg Leg' Bates". The California Eagle. August 11, 1938. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  3. ^ Morris, Earl J. "Cameras Start Work on 'Mystery in Swing'". The Pittsburgh Courier. February 3, 1940. Page 21. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  4. ^ Morris, Earl J. "Race Band Records for Film". The Pittsburgh Courier. February 10, 1940. Page 21. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Music Notes". Variety. March 13, 1946. Page 53. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  6. ^ "Search Results for 'Gladys Bentley Quintette' and 'Byron Johnson'" at WorldCat.
  7. ^ a b c Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-1935. FamilySearch. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  8. ^ Search results for "Cee Pee Johnson" at Internet Archive. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Cee Pee's Wife Faints As She Gets Prison Term". The California Eagle. October 4, 1951. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  10. ^ "Real Estate Transfers" The Shreveport Journal. January 8, 1920. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  11. ^ Morris, Earl. "Cameras Star Work on 'Mystery in Swing'; Picture Will Deal with Newspaper Plot". The Pittsburgh Courier. February 3, 1940. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  12. ^ "People and Places". The California Eagle. November 4, 1954. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  13. ^ Library of Congress. Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 3: Musical Compositions; New Series, Vol 32, Pt 1: First Half of 1937. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1937. Page 346.
  14. ^ Library of Congress. Catalog of Copyright Entries 1945 Music New Series Vol 40 Pt 3 No 10. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 1,294, 1,375 and 1,404.
  15. ^ "'Mystery in Swing' Goes to Cutting Room Floor". The Norfolk Journal and Guide. February 10, 1940. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  16. ^ "Famed 'Cee Pee Johnson' Coming With his Band for October Shows". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. September 22, 1947. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  17. ^ Clifton B Johnson United States Census, 1940 via FamilySearch.
  18. ^ Hawaii, Passenger Lists of Airplanes departing Honolulu, 1942-1948. FamilySearch. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  19. ^ Rye, Howard. "Johnson, Cee Pee". Grove Jazz online.
  20. ^ "On the Stand: Cee Pee Johnson". The Billboard. November 15, 1941. Retrieved January 8, 1941.
  21. ^ "Actress Asks Damages; Struck by Drum Stick". Harrisburg Telegraph. May 6, 1947. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  22. ^ "Sunday Jam Session — 4 - 9 P. M.". The Long Beach Independent. July 31, 1954. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  23. ^ "Rhythm N' Blues Ramblings: Los Angeles". The Cash Box. January 9, 1954. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  24. ^ Meeker, David. "Jazz On the Screen: A Jazz and Blues Filmography". Library of Congress. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  25. ^ "Fox Coronado: On the Stage". Las Vegas Daily Optic. July 12, 1933. Page 7. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  26. ^ a b "Famed 'Cee Pee' Johnson Coming with His Band for October Shows". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. September 22, 1947. Page 7. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  27. ^ "Obituaries: Buddy Collette". The Guardian. October 7, 2010. Page 33. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  28. ^ "Torrid Tom-Toms Set". Hollywood Reporter. July 31, 1942. Page 8. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  29. ^ a b Lamar, Lawrence F. "Cee Pee Orch. Sets Fast Pace". New York Amsterdam News. January 18, 1947. Page 21. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  30. ^ "Large Cast for 'Foxes'". The Pittsburgh Courier. June 7, 1947. Page 16. Retrieved February 7, 2021.

Further reading

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Articles

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Books

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  • Royal, Marshal. Jazz Survivor. London: Cassell. 1996. pp. 55–56. ISBN 0-304-33836-2.
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