Johnny Glasel (1930-2011) was a skilled trumpeter with a solid classical background. He was born in New York City, on June 11, 1930. He developed this classical training in his early years, when he obtained two degrees in music from Yale University. Practical experience, he got with the New Haven Symphony, the Radio City Music Hall Symphony, the Little Orchestra Society and the New York Brass Ensemble, all in addition to his many activities in the jazz field.

Starting in the mid-Forties he began playing in different jazz bands, mainly in company of his friend, clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Bob Wilber. In 1945 they found each other again in Bob Wilber's Wildcats, playing New Orleans standards with such enthusiasm that they eventually became popular in the New York scene. In 1947 they accompanied the legendary Sidney Bechet on a couple of Columbia 78rpm discs.

In 1954 Glasel became a vital part of The Six, with Bob Wilber (ts, cl), Porky Cohen (tb), Tommy Goodman (p), Bob Petersen (b), and Eddie Phyfe (d). The group's goal was to fill the gap between modern and traditional jazz. That same year, Glasel also recorded an album with pianist Mel Powell's swinging band.

The Six, with some personnel changes and newly developed concepts, remained active for two years, recording three albums. During his time with The Six, Glasel became known as a solo artist and arranger, drawing the attention of record producer Creed Taylor, who signed him to record with ABC-Paramount.

On "Jazz Session," his first album as a leader, recorded in 1956, Glasel plays fluently, backed by the warmth of guitar, bass and drums, but his contribution as a songwriter is also noteworthy. The entire session comes across as lucid and relaxed, and it is precisely this relaxed air, this unpretentiousness, which strongly contributes to the success of this presentation. Glasel's conception is mature and his technical resources allowed him to express his ideas. His support is excellent. Whitey Mitchell, called by Glasel “Red's East Coast brother,” plays well, and guitarists Dick Garcia and Perry Lopez surround Glasel's assertive tone with complementary vigor. Osie Johnson, as always, plays with delicious and tasteful efficiency.

Although Glasel did not have much influence as an instrumentalist, he did stand out for his memorable respect for rhythm and melody, realizing that concern for both can be simultaneous, and demonstrating that well-played jazz is a multi-faceted gem.

For the next two years, Glasel played and recorded with the bands of Dick Cary and Jimmy McPartland, whose style followed the guidelines of the New Orleans-style development. In 1960, Glasel took an aesthetic turn and organized his own group, the excellent John Glasel Brasstet, an eight-piece band that played in a modern style with extremely fluid jazz writing.

From 1958 until 1961 he joined the chamber music group the New York Brass Quintet. Between 1960 and 1961, he also recorded with the avant-garde jazz orchestras conducted by Bill Russo, Gil Evans and Johnny Carisi. For several years he was also a member of the Glenn Miller tribute band led by Ray McKinley.

During the sixties, his work as a studio musician intensified, and he was requested to participate in many recording sessions of pop artists, such as Astrud Gilberto, John Denver, Roberta Flack, among many others.

In January 1983, Johnny Glasel became president of Local 802 of the Musicians’ Union of New York City, a position he held until 1992. He lived in New Jersey and he died in the early morning hours of December 8, 2011."

—Jordi Pujol (From the inside liner notes of FSRCD 1068)