Aaron M. Johnson
Aaron M. Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 9, 1991 Coos Bay, Oregon, U.S. |
| Occupation | Saxophonist and bandleader |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Relatives | Joanne Verger (grandmother) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Jazz, bebop and swing |
| Instruments | Saxophone, clarinet and flute |
| Associated acts | Veronica Swift,[1] Dick Hyman, Connie Crothers, Chuck Israels, Jon Batiste |
| Website | aaronmjohnsonjazz |
Aaron Michael Johnson (born June 9, 1991) is an American jazz saxophonist and bandleader.[2]
Early life[]
Aaron Johnson began expressing interest in music at a young age.[3] While he could play music fluently by the age of 13, he still could not read notation. His earliest woodwinds instructor Matt Utal[4] recounted, "He was precocious, very bright and advanced for his age. I stressed the importance of learning to read, and he bogged down for a long time and became a great reader."[5] Johnson was educated at Manhattan School of Music.[3][6]
Career[]
At 18 Johnson was chosen as lead alto saxophonist in the Gibson/Baldwin Grammy Jazz Ensemble, with whom he performed and attended 51st Annual Grammy week.[7]
In 2014, in New York, he produced an historically accurate recreation of the Charlie Parker with Strings albums,[3] thenceforth becoming a fixture on New York's bebop scene, initially with his ensemble Aaron Johnson's Reboppers,[7][8] and eventually with the Aaron Johnson Quartet.[9]
Awards and honors[]
In 2009, at 17, Johnson became the youngest musician ever to be awarded the Outstanding Soloist title at the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival.[8]
References[]
- ^ Friedwald, W. (March 16, 2021). "This Bitter Earth by Veronica Swift Review: Dysfunction, Danger and Dependency". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Ricci, M. (March 27, 2021). Aaron Johnson. All About Jazz.
- ^ a b c "Aaron Johnson". ReverbNation.
- ^ E-Newsletter, Oregon Coast Music Association, Spring/Summer 2020.
- ^ Hockema, C. (February 6, 2009). "Mister Independent". The World.
- ^ Jarenwattananon, P. (October 9, 2009). "Old vs. New and Other Inanities: The Friday Link Dump". NPR Jazz.
- ^ a b "Your Bebop, Coming Right Up: The Aaron Johnson Jazz Quintet"". Lincoln City News Guard. December 30, 2014.
- ^ a b Wright, C. (January 6, 2015). "Bebop and Cool Jazz". Statesman Journal.
- ^ Leslie, P. (November 6, 2019). "Episode #326—Aaron M. Johnson". The Paul Leslie Hour.
External links[]
- Official website
- Johnson, A. M., "Initiation, Adepthood, Contact: Charlie Parker as Mystic, Higher Intelligence and Interdimensional Entity", Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art, September 2020
- SmallsLIVE Foundation, Aaron Johnson, 2012–present
- 1991 births
- American jazz alto saxophonists
- American male jazz musicians
- Manhattan School of Music alumni
- 21st-century saxophonists
- Jazz musicians from Oregon
- 21st-century American male musicians
- American male jazz composers
- People from Coos Bay, Oregon
- Living people