Steve Johns
Steve Johns was born Stephen Samuel Johns November 25,1960 in Boston, MA and began playing the drums at the age of nine. Mr. Johns grew up in a very musical family. His mother, Goldie Tyler Johns, was a songwriter and three of her brothers were jazz musicians. One of these brothers was the late great Jimmy “Bottoms up”Tyler, a well- known jazz saxophonist that would prove to be Steve’s biggest musical influence and inspiration. At the age of fifteen, Steve decided to pursue jazz as a life long ambition. Steve’s uncle Jimmy suggested that he should get serious and study with the great drummer and master teacher Alan Dawson. With that advice, Steve began an intense three-year study with Mr. Dawson. Steve also studied with Boston based drum guru Bob Gullotti.
While in high school, Steve participated in many musical activities such as concert band and jazz band. Steve also won chairs in district jazz band and all state jazz band. In 1979, after graduating Natick High School, Mr. Johns enrolled at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and studied classical percussion with Fred Buda and Vic Firth. While at NEC, Steve met and played around Boston with local greats James Williams, Billy Pierce, Jimmy Mosher, Miroslav Vitous, Jerry Bergonzi, Tiger Okoshi, Mick Goodrick, Jeff Berlin and Mike Stern.
In the spring of 1982, Steve decided he would take his chances and move to New York City. Shortly after arriving, he started meeting and working with some of the great known and unknown young jazz musicians at the time such as Joe Locke, Ralph Moore, Bill Evans, Steve Slagle, Conrad Herwig, Vincent Herring, Kevin Eubanks, Rodney Jones, Lonnie Plaxico, Dennis Erwin, Dave Stryker and Benny Green.
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August 21, 2007
John Richmond QT with George Cables, Bill Moring, Steve Johns-Sweet...
September 01, 2006
Ed Cherry/Akiko Tsuruga/Steve Johns at the Garage, NYC, Sept. 3
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