George A. Johnson Jr. is the consummate performer with all of the talents of a Conductor. George produces new music and directs the band, as the Conductor, on how to perform each work.
As the Conductor it is George’s job to present to each musician the sheet music for their instrument and in the key for the song, while George has in his sheet music, the notations of all of the instruments. Conductor’s have an ear for what they want to hear and how the music must be played.
George is the writer of a large work of songs. Much of George’s music is inspired by the Master Musicians he has worked with and that body of work is inspired from their teachings.
In this respect George is the student of music.Elvin Jones and Art Blakey are two of the people that mentored this 3rd generation drummer. Maestro Johnson recalls the very day when Elvin Jones helped him pick out his first professional set of drums.
“ I have performed with many of the best JAZZ musicians in the world including; Grover Washington Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Charles Earland , Craig Handy, Milt Hinton, Shirley Scott, Wickliffe Gordon, Terrell Stafford and Sir Roland Hannah Jimmy Smith, Richard “groove Holmes, Buster Williams, Ron Carter, Lou Donaldson, Cedar Walton, Lonnie Liston Smith, George Adams, Curtis Fuller, Johnny Hammond, Jimmy Merit, Jon Faddis, Gene Ammos and the great McCoy Tyner.”, and I have recorded or toured with them all.
George smiles as he continues to talk about Abdullah Ibraham. Abdullah Ibrahim is a South African pianist, saxophone player and cellist as well as a composer and bandleader.
Primarily performing Gospel, South African Jazz music and expanding that to modern jazz and Western styles of music including bebop, post-bop and folk. Ibrahim is the leading figure of Cape Jazz music.
Within jazz, he has a particular passion for Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. His extensive touring is how he worked with George A. Johnson Jr. as well as collaborating with classical orchestras in Europe. In reality, George is the Jazz Grand Master, a title that other celebrated Jazz Musicians have given him.
When George builds a band for a concert, he seeks out the best trained and most talented musicians with the highest level of concert experience, enabling his own talent as a musician on drums or being the Conductor.
Conducting a band, George offers the audience the most memorable of performances adding accolades to the Jazz Grand Master for his concerts.George A Johnson Jr., wrote and produced “The League of Extraordinary Musicians “which is an instrumental CD with lots of feelings and warmth.