Owensboro native and award-winning saxophonist Chuck Johnson, who is now based in Los Angeles, will perform in Evansville on November 5.
The Evansville Jazz Society and the University of Evansville will present Johnson on their Jazz Guest Artist Concert Series in the newly renovated Wheeler Concert Hall on November 5 at 4 p.m. Tickets for the performance are $15 for adults, $5 for students, and $10 for members of the Evansville Jazz Society. They can be purchased by calling 812-488-2754.
Johnson has been a band leader and performer for 37+ years.
“His distinctive saxophone voice was established by fusing the hard bop East Coast aesthetic with his unique West Coast musical experiences,” according to a release about the performance. “He is recognized for bringing back the soul that is missing in much of today’s modern mainstream material. Johnson’s vast breadth of knowledge derives from a diversity of experiences throughout the length of his career as a saxophonist and band leader. He strives to introduce, share, and uplift listeners with his joy through a rich and vast repertoire that is a melting pot of straight-ahead jazz, Afro-Cuban, bebop, Latin, swing, bossa nova, blues, and funk.”
Fluent in performing on all the saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone) and flute, Johnson’s inspiration came from saxophonists in possession of a sonorous sound such as Dexter Gordon, Stanley Turrentine, Grover Washington, Jr., and Cannonball Adderley.
“I love introducing and sharing our great American art form with others,” Johnson said. “That is at the core of what keeps me motivated to put this great music in front of a listening audience.”
Johnson is a 1980 alum of the University of Evansville, saying that is where he was first introduced to the saxophone. He was instrumental in reinstituting the jazz format at radio station WUEV-FM, where he had the objective of introducing both popular and obscure jazz to the audience.
After his UE education, Johnson was brought on board by the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, where he initiated their first student chapter of The International Association of Jazz Educators. He has since furthered his horizons by completing the Professional Instrumental Program at the Grove School of Music in Los Angeles. He has also been active with the International Association of Jazz Appreciation, served on the board of the Jazz Heritage Foundation, and served on the national alumni board for Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Johnson has appeared in concert with such artists as The Temptations, Four Tops, Buddy Collette, Gerryck King, Bobby Womack, Carl Burnett, James Leary, and Oakdale Saxophone Quartet.
