Don Johnson Big Band
Encyclopedia
Don Johnson Big Band is an alternative hip hop
group from Helsinki
, Finland
. Their music blends influences from a variety of genres such as electronic music
, funk
, rock
and jazz
.
in the series Miami Vice
. It was invented as a joke when the band couldn't think of any other name.
, but instead a mix between rap
, hip hop
, techno, jazz, blues
and rock
. Regular featuring artists on DJBB gigs and albums are Juuso Hannukainen (percussion), Tero Rantanen (percussion), Emma Salokoski (vocals), and Teppo Mäkynen (turntables).
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group from Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Their music blends influences from a variety of genres such as electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
.
History
The name "Don Johnson Big Band" comes from the actor Don JohnsonDon Johnson
Donnie Wayne "Don" Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. He played the lead role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s TV cop series, Miami Vice, which led him to huge success. He also played the lead role in the 1990s cop series, Nash Bridges...
in the series Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
. It was invented as a joke when the band couldn't think of any other name.
Members
Don Johnson Big Band consists of four people: Tommy Lindgren (vocals), Kari Saarilahti (guitar), Johannes Laiho (keyboards) and Pekka Mikkonen (horns). Despite their name, they are not a big bandBig band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
, but instead a mix between rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, techno, jazz, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. Regular featuring artists on DJBB gigs and albums are Juuso Hannukainen (percussion), Tero Rantanen (percussion), Emma Salokoski (vocals), and Teppo Mäkynen (turntables).
Albums
- Support de MicrophonesSupport de MicrophonesSupport de Microphones is the debut album of Finnish hip hop group Don Johnson Big Band. With sales of 10,000 copies, the album is considered to be the best selling self-published album in Finland...
(2000) - Breaking DaylightBreaking DaylightBreaking Daylight is the second album by Finnish hip hop group Don Johnson Big Band. It topped the Finnish album charts and has been certified platinum in Finland...
(2003) - Don Johnson Big Band (2006)
- Records Are Forever (2009)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak position on Finnish Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... Singles Chart |
Weeks on chart | |||
| 2003 | "One MC, One Delay" | 2 | 19 | Breaking Daylight |
| "Jah Jah Blow Job" | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2006 | "Road" | 1 | 5 | Don Johnson Big Band |
| "Busy Relaxin'" | 12 | 2 | ||
| 2009 | "L.L.H." | 6 | 2 | Records Are Forever |
Trivia
- Lindgren, Saarilahti and Laiho are old high school friends. Mikkonen joined in later.
- Their 2009 album includes a song dedicated to Usain BoltUsain BoltThe Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
, titled Running Man.
External links
- The Official Don Johnson Big Band Website
- The Official Don Johnson Big Band Webshop (Worldwide)
- The Official Microsite of "Breaking Daylight" (Album, 2003)
- The Official Microsite of "Don Johnson Big Band" (Album, 2006)
- The Official Microsite of "Records Are Forever" (Album, 2009)
- Don Johnson Big Band on YouTube.com
- Don Johnson Big Band on Twitter.com