Aaron M. Johnson | |
|---|---|
 Johnson in 2022 | |
| Born | June 9, 1991 Coos Bay, Oregon, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Saxophonist, writer, performance artist |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Relatives | Joanne Verger (grandmother) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Jazz, bebop, swing |
| Instrument(s) | Saxophone, clarinet, flute |
| Website | aaronjohnsonisunderground |
Aaron Michael Johnson (born June 9, 1991) is an American jazz saxophonist, writer and performance artist.[2]
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]
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]
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]
