Earl R. Johnson Jr.
Los Angeles, California, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
BILLBOARD MAGAZINE writes, “A contemporary jazz album at its core, “JUICY” offers a tempting mix of instrumental and vocal tracks as it skillfully shifts from smooth to funky with its shadings of R&B and hip-hop.”
WINE & JAZZ MAGAZINE writes, “Talk about an album living up to its name! After making his mark behind the scenes with everyone from Patti Austin and Beyonce’ to Stevie Wonder and Gerald Albright, [this] veteran keyboardist and ‘groovemeister’ emerges as a solo artist with an instantly infectious disc, mixing wild and playful old school soul jams with sexy, late-night R&B ballads that will inspire some sweet but naughty dreams…very appealing.”
ALL ABOUT JAZZ writes, “His ethereal piano melodies allow the session to cool frequently, while rhythms heat up on occasion and surrounding forces bring tension. Thus, Johnson forces a balance that keeps his session smooth but interesting, romantic but appealing, lyrical and highly rhythmic.”
ALL ACCESS MAGAZINE writes, “Keyboard crusader Earl R. Johnson, Jr. has compiled a truly flavorful and fine-feeling disk that's chock-full of "Juicy" goodness, for all who appreciate soulful rhythms, heartfelt ballads, and top-notch production…major props to [this] keyboard whiz who's also a master of the "do it yourself" principle, and who does it very well indeed!” - Magazine Reviews:
Discography
"JUICY" (contemporary, jazzy, w/ a seriously funky R&B twist)
- airplay in Houston, Atlanta, Washington DC, San Diego, Denver, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Long Beach, Irvine, Erie, (and others)
"INSIDE MYSELF" (traditional, straight-ahead Jazz- acoustic)
- to be released April, 2011
Photos
Bio
Looking for the 'it' factor? This guy's got it in a major way. Pianist Earl R. Johnson, Jr. has been wowing audiences on five continents with his electrifying performances, delicious finger work, and smooth, pensive ballads. He is equally "at home" performing in both acoustic and contemporary circles. He performed on the Capitol Jazz Super Cruise III where his award-winning CD, "JUICY" was the TOP SELLING CD over Brian Culbertson, Jonathan Butler, David Sanborn, Najee, Patti Austin, Kem and all other 23 artists aboard!!
A graduate of Boston’s Berklee College of Music with a degree in Film Scoring, Johnson's command of several writing and playing styles has afforded him the opportunity to have worked and/or toured with many of the music industry’s top legends, including Patti Austin, Brian McKnight, Chaka Khan, Jeffrey Osborne, Beyonce, Wynton Marsalis, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Kenny Lattimore, Randy Crawford, Howard Hewitt, All-4-One, The Brand New Heavies, and R. Kelly, to name a few. Johnson has produced and composed arrangements for many notable recording artists including K Ci and JoJo, Chante Moore, and T.C. Carson. He has served as Musical Director (Gerald Albright, Marla Glen, Terry Dexter, Najee, Freda Payne, T.C. Carson, “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Theotrilogy”) conducted orchestras for a variety of musical situations including the wedding of actress Lela Rochon (“Waiting to Exhale”) and Director Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day.”) Johnson’s mastery of the piano and keyboards has captivated audiences around the world; most notably as Keyboardist and Featured Soloist with Chaka Khan. He has performed for several dignitaries and Heads of State including Nelson Mandela and President Barack Obama. For more information on Johnson, please visit: www.EarlRJohnsonJr.com.
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