Born: June 7, 1966 Primary Instrument: Bass, acoustic
After a couple of hapless years playing the piano and violin, Douglas Johnson switched to the double bass and went on to earn a bachelors’ degree in music performance from Northwestern University, studying with Jeff Bradetich. During his college years, Doug was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Institute and the Bach Aria Festival. Upon graduation, he became Associate Principal Bass with the Honolulu Symphony and, after one season, returned to Chicago where he continued performing and started composing and improvising. He has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the symphonies of Milwaukee and Elgin, as well as the Lyric Opera of Chicagom, Ars Viva, and the Chicago Composer Orchestra, and is active in contemporary chamber music, having recently performed with the C.U.B.E. Ensemble, Music of the Baroque, Fulcrum Point, Access Contemporary Music, the Contemporary Chamber Players, the Chicago Chamber Musicians and dal niente.
As a composer and improviser, he has written music for the River North Chicago Dance Company and the Dutch National Ballet Project, and a 15-minute soundtrack for a Quay Brothers silent film (not sponsored by said brothers) scored for violin, viola, clarinet, horn, piano and percussion. Doug also completed and, as the soloist, premiered the middle movement of the Concerto for Double Bass in D minor, which is 1/3 completed. He has written string arrangements for a number of recording projects, most recently for the singer Maddy Meyer.
The track “Arête“ from his solo album Clevinjourneys was featured as the All About Jazz “Download of the Day” on April 14, 2012.
Doug is also the bandleader of the progressive improvisational group, Gunnelpumpers.
Awards:
First Prize Winner, Winnetka (IL) Women's Music Club Solo Competition (1987)
”Chicago native and classically trained bassist Douglas Johnson has created some truly inspired textures on his debut solo album “Clevinjourneys”. Douglas’s work will appeal to more than just jazz or world music fans. The dark tension in the music makes both his solo work and the Gunnelpumpers material perfect for fans of everything from prog rock to electronic music, with many possibilities in between.”
James Moore, May, 16, 2012, Independent Music Promotions (http://www.independentmusicpromotions.com/2012/05/16/strange-music-gem-day-douglas-johnson)
”Not only admirable for Johnson's artistic goals, but it's just so damn great to listen to.”
David Sumner, All About Jazz, April 14, 2012 (http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/jazzdownload.php?id=7381)
Gunnelpumpers: Tritonium (Spiritflake Music, 2012)
Gunnelpumpers: Symphonie Improvisé (Spiritflake Music, 2010)
Gunnelpumpers: the nth wave (Spiritflake Music, 2010)
Maddy Meyer: Every Day I'm Something New (2011)
Graham Czach: Lucid (2010)
Triumph & Joy: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Elgin Symphony Orchestra LIVE! (2010)
Chicago Master Singers: What Sweeter Music (2009)
Tomorrow Music Orchestra: Neon Jesus Garage (ears & eyes records, 2009)
Daylight Dies: Lost to the Living (Candlelight, 2008)
Nat Coot & the Hooves: The Chicago Knuckleshuffle (2006)
Ferdinand & Friends (DMD Classics, 2002)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps, Debussy: La Mer, Boulez: Notations VII (Teldec, 2001)
Schwa: Vertical (two flight records, 1994)
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