1924
J.J. is born in Indianapolis, starts on the piano aged eleven, and three years later starts playing the trombone.

1946-54
In New York J.J. Johnson finds himself in various small groups playing alongside the major bebop stars: Bud Powell, Max Roach, Miles Davis, Navarro and Charlie Parker. He plays in groups led by Illinois Jacquet, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Pettiford. Johnson retires from the jazz world for financial reasons.

1956-60s
Johnson leads various groups, mostly quintets, and tours with Miles Davis in 1961-62. His compositional projects become increasingly ambitious.

1941-45
After touring with Snookum Russell until 1942 (fellow band member Fats Navarro has a great impact on Johnson's playing), he plays with, and eventually arranges for, the Benny Carter band until 1945; after a short spell with Count Basie he moves to New York.

1954-56
Known as 'Jay & Kai', Johnson teams up with fellow trombonist Kai Winding: the duo is a popular success. There are occasional reunions in later years. His arrangements for the group are sometimes ambitious, with use of fugal episodes and other formal devices.