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Aubrey Johnson

Aubrey Johnson is a New York-based vocalist, composer, and educator who specializes in jazz, Brazilian, and creative contemporary music. Aubrey teaches in the jazz programs at Montclair University, Queens College, and in the voice department at Berklee College of Music. She has performed and/or recorded with Billy Childs, Jimmy Cobb, John Patitucci, Janis Siegel (Manhattan Transfer), John Zorn’s Mycale Vocal Quartet, Fred Hersch, among many others. Aubrey recorded on Bobby McFerrin’s 2010 Grammy-nominated release, “VOCAbuLaries”, Arturo O'Farrill's 2020 Grammy Award- winning album “Four Questions”, and on Lyle Mays’ 2021 Grammy Award-winning recording “Eberhard”. Her performing and teaching has taken her throughout the US and Canada and to Central and South America, Europe, and Asia. Aubrey’s debut record, Unraveled, featuring her original music and arrangements and produced by Steve Rodby of the Pat Metheny Group, was released on Outside In Music in March of 2020.

Awards

"Outstanding Performance - Jazz Vocalist" 2010 DownBeat Student Music Awards "Best Jazz Vocalist" 2008 DownBeat Student Music Awards "Outstanding Performance - Jazz Vocalist" 2007 DownBeat Student Music Awards


Tags

6
Album Review

Randy Napoleon: The Door is Open: The Music of Gregg Hill

Read "The Door is Open: The Music of Gregg Hill" reviewed by Paul Rauch


In and around the formidable jazz studies program at Michigan State University is a plethora of jazz talent devoted to instrumental and compositional excellence. Most of this talent is young, benefiting from a wide array of world-class instructors that includes program director Rodney Whitaker and veteran guitarist Randy Napoleon, among other notables. Within this labyrinth of jazz wisdom in the Detroit / Lansing metroplex is composer Gregg Hill, a former truck driver and tech entrepreneur whose performing ambitions were superseded ...

4
Liner Notes

Jun Iida: Evergreen

Read "Jun Iida: Evergreen" reviewed by Gary Fukushima


They are everywhere, dotting the undulating terrain of the great Pacific Northwest, from the winding, twisting shorelines of Puget Sound to the mountains that rise in the distance in every direction: the Olympics to the west, the Cascades to the east, Mt. Baker to the north and the majestic Rainier to the south. The trees are a constant, comforting blanket over this land, ever-present, ever-green. Jun lida has called this place home for the past three years, another ...

8
Album Review

Jun Iida: Evergreen

Read "Evergreen" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello


Evergreen from trumpeter/flugelhornist Jun Iida is a textural panorama of multi-cultural jazz flavors, offering original and known fare. Each of the ten tracks is a portrait, and they display fine solo and ensemble playing. To describe Evergreen in one word is to call it “intriguing." “Gooey Butter Cake," one of six originals from Iida, opens things in a jovial, hippity-hop, jny: New Orleans-esque groove which develops into a trumpet-bass solo ride, with solos following from pianist Josh Nelson ...

4
Album Review

Aubrey Johnson & Randy Ingram: Play Favorites

Read "Play Favorites" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


At its best, the pairing of piano and voice can create special chemistry, as in the cases of Ran Blake and Dominique Eade or Bill Evans and Tony Bennett. The combination of Randy Ingram's piano and Aubrey Johnson's voice is in the same class on this album. The two musicians exude a sense of familiarity and trust as they play together, and their sounds mesh effortlessly. Their song selection covers modern pop, the Great American Songbook and jazz standards and ...

3
Album Review

Lyle Mays: Eberhard

Read "Eberhard" reviewed by Mario Calvitti


La prematura scomparsa di Lyle Mays nel febbraio 2020 ha privato il mondo di uno straordinario musicista, troppo poco considerato al di fuori dell'importantissimo contributo da lui dato all'interno del Pat Metheny Group, dove ha rappresentato l'ideale complemento del chitarrista dal 1977 al 2010 prima di decidere di abbandonare definitivamente la scena musicale per dedicarsi professionalmente al mondo del software, un altro dei suoi numerosi interessi. Se i periodi trascorsi a fianco di Pat Metheny ne hanno ...

77
Album Review

Lyle Mays: Eberhard

Read "Eberhard" reviewed by John Kelman


When pianist, keyboardist, synthesist and composer Lyle Mays passed away at the far too young age of 66 following a long battle with a recurring (but, to this day, undisclosed) illness in February 2020, it was a major loss for his fans. It was an especially deep body blow to those who'd followed his decades-long work as performer and compositional collaborator with Pat Metheny in the guitarist's critically and commercially acclaimed Pat Metheny Group. Mays had been largely ...

3
Album Review

Joseph Herbst: This is Our Environment

Read "This is Our Environment" reviewed by Josh Deakin


Joseph Herbst has released something truly original with This Is Our Environment. The record itself is a complex intertwining of jazz and spoken word that blends together for a beautiful product. The instrumentals keep the spoken word element alive and flowing throughout the record and offers a channel for Herbst to speak out on some important topics. The spoken word comes out as a slam poetry accompaniment to the coffeehouse instrumentals. The verses are powerful, often politically charged ...

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Career

Renowned Vocalist And Composer Aubrey Johnson Joins Faculty At NEC

Renowned Vocalist And Composer Aubrey Johnson Joins Faculty At NEC

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

NEC Grad Johnson To Direct NEC’s Vocal Jazz Ensemble Group to be Featured in Concert on December 12 as part of In the Mix Concert Series New England Conservatory’s Jazz Studies Department has hired vocalist/composer Aubrey Johnson to join the faculty. Johnson, who has deep ties to NEC, will direct the school’s 6-voice vocal jazz ensemble. A versatile vocalist, arranger, and composer, Johnson is in demand as both a leader and side person. She can be heard with legendary drummer ...

338

Radio

B.J. Jansen Interviewed Aubrey Johnson on the Jazz Life

B.J. Jansen Interviewed Aubrey Johnson on the Jazz Life

Source: JM Creative

B.J. Jansen Interviewed Aubrey Johnson, Creator of the Jazz Half This interview is Part 13 of Jansen's Jazz Industry Talks, exploring the future of the Jazz Industry behind the music. The Jazz Half is found here. Jansen created his show, “The Jazz Life," to bring audiences to the next generation of jazz artists who struggle to receive airplay in the United States. The programming format of “The Jazz ...

176

Performance / Tour

Greg Loughman Trio Featuring Aubrey Johnson at Ryles (Boston) on August 4th

Greg Loughman Trio Featuring Aubrey Johnson at Ryles (Boston) on August 4th

Source: Michael Ricci

As part of its ongoing Artist Showcase series, Ryles welcomes back the Greg Loughman Trio with special guest, 2008 Downbeat Student Music Awards' “Best Jazz Vocalist" Aubrey Johnson, Tuesday August 4, 8:30pm ($7 cover). Bassist Greg Loughman once again steps into the bandleader role for another appearance at Ryles. A year ago almost to the day, Loughman held a CD release party at Ryles of his current CD, Sinistral, which features original compositions and original settings of traditional standard jazz ...

Primary Instrument

Vocals

Location

New York City

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Montclair State University - jazz department Queens College - jazz department Berklee College of Music - voice department New England Conservatory - vocal jazz ensemble director

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Evergreen

OA2 Records
2023

buy

Play Favorites

Sunnyside Records
2022

buy

Justin Page and...

Temporal Acuity Publishing
2021

buy

This is Our...

Next Level
2021

buy

The Lost Tune

From: The Door is Open: The Music of...
By Aubrey Johnson

Gooey Butter Cake

From: Evergreen
By Aubrey Johnson

Andy's Lament

From: Puppets: The Music of Gregg Hill
By Aubrey Johnson

Night

From: Intimate Strangers
By Aubrey Johnson

They Say There Are Beautiful Trees

From: This is Our Environment
By Aubrey Johnson

Karate

From: Unraveled
By Aubrey Johnson

These Days

From: Unraveled
By Aubrey Johnson

Dindi

From: Unraveled
By Aubrey Johnson

The Peacocks

From: Unraveled
By Aubrey Johnson

Voice Is Magic

From: Unraveled
By Aubrey Johnson

Lie In Wait

From: Unraveled
By Aubrey Johnson

Happy To Stay

From: Unraveled
By Aubrey Johnson

Unraveled

From: Unraveled
By Aubrey Johnson

Love Again

From: Unraveled
By Aubrey Johnson

No More 'I Love You's

From: Unraveled
By Aubrey Johnson

Two Islands III

From: Atwood Suites
By Aubrey Johnson

Videos

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