Johnny Lytle

Johnny Lytle (actually John Dillard Lytle, born October 13, 1932 in Springfield, Ohio, † December 15, 1995 ) was an American vibraphone player and drummer of the hard bop and soul jazz.

Life and work

Johnny Lytle grew up in a musical family: his father was a trumpeter, his mother an organist. Early on, he started playing drums and piano. He also worked as a boxer. In the late 1950s he worked as a drummer for Ray Charles and others. In 1960 he transferred to the vibraphone, founded his own jazz band and took a series of albums for the jazz label Riverside Records on where Johnny Griffin, Bobby Timmons, Sam Jones, the organist Milt Harris, Bob Cranshaw and Ray Barretto participated.

At this time, Lytle was one of the most famous vibraphone player; he was famous for its speed and also for his skills as a showman. He also wrote several titles ' as " The Loop ", "The Man," " Lela ," " Selim " (in honor of Miles Davis) and his most famous piece " The Village Caller " after an album is titled. Lytle recorded more than 30 albums for various jazz labels such as Tuba, Jazzland, Solid State and Muse. Throughout his career, he worked with Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Timmons and Roy Ayers.

He played his most successful soul-jazz - title in the early 1960s. With his later recordings could not connect to this success; Lytle took another in the following decades albums. He stepped up in the 1990s to concerts in the U.S. and Europe; his last appearance took place in his hometown in November 1995 with the Springfield ( Ohio) Symphony Orchestra. There was after his death, the street in which he had lived, named after him.

Auswahldiskographie

• Nice And Easy ( Riverside, OJC, 1962) with Johnny Griffin
• Got That Feeling / Moon Child ( Milestone 1962 /63)
• The Village Caller ( Riverside, OJC, 1964-65 )
• The Loop / New and Groovy (BGP, 1965)