Articles

Alphonso Johnson On This Month’s Groove – The No Treble Podcast

“Wait… did I miss something? Why is there an article about a bass podcast on Six Pixels of Separation?”

Here’s why:
In the late nineties my first job was as a music journalist (actually, my first interview was with Tommy Lee from Motley Crue right before the band released Dr. Feelgood).
I spent many years interviewing musicians and artists for local weekly alternative newspapers, national and international magazines (and even published three music magazines – before we had the Internet).
I also studied and played the electric bass (in high school and post-secondary) and always felt like bass players never really had a chance to tell their stories.
So, about ten years ago, Seth Godin introduced me to Corey Brown (founder of No Treble – one of the world’s biggest bass platforms – and he also worked on Squidoo with Seth).
From there, Corey and I decided to try this monthly podcast where I would interview bass players and talk about their music, art, creativity and more.
I’m hopeful that these conversations will inspire your work, creativity and innovation as much as they do for me…

Alphonso Johnson is this month’s conversation on Groove – The No Treble Podcast.

You can listen the new episode right here: Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #124 – Alphonso Johnson.

If you’ve ever picked up a bass and wondered what it could really do – beyond root notes and groove – then Alphonso Johnson’s story is your North Star. In this deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, Alphonso, best known for his groundbreaking work with Weather Report, Phil Collins, Santana, and more, unpacks a career that has quietly shaped the modern soundscape of electric bass. From picking up the upright bass as a kid in South Philly (after being steered away from a cello by a very persuasive teacher) to becoming a pioneer of the Chapman Stick and fretless bass, Alphonso’s journey is part timing, part discipline, and entirely soul. You’ll hear how his audition for Weather Report wasn’t an audition at all. You’ll learn how Phil Collins recognized him on sight in an elevator and how his spontaneous groove caught Joe Zawinul’s ear before Alphonso even knew he had the gig. But what makes this episode resonate isn’t just the jazz lore or jaw-dropping resume – it’s Alphonso’s mindset. He talks about the importance of serving the melody, of staying in the moment, and the humility that comes with not always having great practice days, even after decades of mastery. From his days with Woody Herman and Chuck Mangione to jamming on Grateful Dead songs (check out Jazz Is Dead), Alphonso has remained a chameleon – not by changing who he is, but by knowing exactly how to support the music around him. We also dig into his creative process, dynamic control, and improvisational approach that relies not on formulas, but feeling. You’ll get a front-row seat to how great musicians think about tone, rhythm, composition, and their place in the sonic spectrum. Whether he’s playing with a string quintet or laying it down with fusion legends, Alphonso proves that the bass isn’t just an instrument – it’s a voice. Enjoy the conversation…

What is Groove – The No Treble Podcast?

This is an ambitious effort. This will be a fascinating conversation. Our goal at Groove is to build the largest oral history of bass players. Why Groove? Most of the content about the bass revolves around gear, playing techniques, and more technical chatter. For us, bassists are creative artists with stories to tell. They are a force to be reckon with. These are the stories and conversation that we will capture. To create this oral history of why these artists chose the bass, what their creative lives are like, and where inspiration can be found.

Listen in: Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #124- Alphonso Johnson.

Are you interested in what’s next? How to decode the future? I publish between 2-3 times per week and then the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast comes out every Sunday. Feel free to subscribe (and tell your friends).

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.