David Earle Johnson


David Earle Johnson was an American percussionist, composer and music producer. The son of Earle H. Johnson and Lottie Ruth Troutman Johnson of Florence, South Carolina.
He appeared on Billy Cobham’s Total Eclipse and Voyage to Uranus by ; Jan Hammer's The First Seven Days ; Lenny White's Big City and Miroslav Vitouš' Majesty Music ; Jaroslav Jakubovič's Checkin' In, Mark Moogy Klingman's Moogy II, the Players Association's Born to Dance, and Josh White Jr.'s self-titled album.
Johnson's solo debut came in 1978 with Time Is Free, recorded for Vanguard Records. His relationship with that label proved short-lived, however, and he began recording albums for other labels in subsequent years before his recording career slowed following his 1983 album, The Midweek Blues.
Jan Hammer produced and performed on most of these releases along with John Abercrombie, Jeremy Steig, Col. Bruce Hampton, Allen Sloan, Dan Wall, Billy McPherson, and Gary Campbell.
Johnson was against the use of sampling, as Hammer used samples of his rare Nigerian Log Drums on the Miami Vice soundtrack without his permission. Johnson tried and failed to convince American Federation of Musicians Local 802 to take up his case.
He was married to French artist Evelyne Morisot, with whom he had four children. He died from cancer in 1998.

Discography

As leader

  • 1978 Time Is Free
  • 1979 Skin Deep Yeah!
  • 1980 Hip Address
  • 1981 Route Two
  • 1983 Midweek Blues
  • 1986 The Feeling's Mutual
  • 1993 ''White Latening''

As sideman