Ayanna Witter-Johnson - Composer, Vocals, Cello, Piano/
Nathaniel Facey - Alto Saxophone/
Zem Audu - Tenor Saxophone/
Jay Phelps/Mark Crown - Trumpet/
Dave Preston - Guitar/
Sam Beste - Keys/
Neil Charles/Tom Hanson/James Opstad - Bass/
Shaney Forbes/Josh Morrison - Drums/
Noura Sanatian - Violin/
Jo - Violin/
Amy-Jane Hosken - Viola/
Influences
Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Betty Carter, Bessie Smith, Stevie Wonder, Sounds of Blackness, Bela Bartok, Michael Jackson, Billie Holiday, Take 6, Bach, Flora Purim, Beethoven, Stockhausen, Earth Wind and Fire, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Branford Marsalis, Steely Dan, Britten, Quincy Jones, High Llamas, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, John Coltrane, Ray Charles, Nancy Wilson, Jill Scott, Yo-Yo Ma, Bobby McFerrin, Anita Baker, Tchaikovsky, Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, Sarah Vaughan, Sweet Honey In The Rock, Wayne Shorter, Ali Farka Toure, Oumou Sangare, Bill Evans, Sting, M-Base Collective, Charlie Parker, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cannonball Adderley, Joni Mitchell, Bjork, Duke Ellington, Weather Report, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Charles Mingus, Pan-African Orchestra, Chick Corea, Mary J. Blige, The Stylistics, Diane Reeves, Herbie Hancock, India Arie, Aretha Franklin, Mariza, Sofia Gubaidulina, Kodaly.........
Ayanna Witter-Johnson is a unique, captivating and talented young composer, song-writer, vocalist, cellist and pianist who has developed musically from a diverse background of mixed cultures. Her compositional versatility includes writing for symphony orchestra, chamber ensemble, big band, string quartet, choir, vocal quintet, brass quintet, saxophone quartet, solo voice, violin, cello and piano, songs, soundscapes and pieces for solo instrument and tape, across a range of styles including jazz, classical, contemporary, R&B, soul, reggae and electro-acoustic.
Ayanna began playing the piano at an early age, later taking up the ‘cello during her
teenage years and is currently studying Composition with Alwynne Pritchard and Classical ‘Cello with David Kenedy at Trinity College of Music, London. She has studied with John A. Thomas, Errollyn Wallen MBE, Andrew Poppy, Arranging with Paul Bartholomew and Orchestration with Stephen Montague and Classical ‘Cello with Sue Sutherley (LPO).
She has worked with composer, arranger, producer, musical director and saxophonist Jason Yarde as a vocalist, cellist and pianist in his ‘B-Trade’ ensemble alongside Julian Siegel, Seb Rochford and Neil Charles, performing at Glasgow Jazz Festival and City of London Festival and as assistant orchestrator on the landmark Urban Classic project which brought together leading UK Grime artists and the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Charles Hazlewood.
Recently, Ayanna has become an associate artist of the Southbank Centre after being chosen (following a series of workshops) to be part of a project called Aftershock led by the ground-breaking composer and instrumentalist Nitin Sawhney. This project brought together a range of artists to participate in an intense collaborative process to produce original material for a performance at the re-opening of the Royal Festival Hall. As well as Nitin Sawhney, Ayanna collaborated with Meg Hamilton (Kosmos Ensemble), Nathan Lee, Max Wright (Ojos de Brujo), Jason Singh and Natascha Eleonore during this unique experience.
Continually developing as a musician and composer of extraordinary versatility, Ayanna entered the City Showcase Competition and was chosen to perform with her band during the City Showcase Festival in June and has recently been invited by Courtney Pine OBE to join his band ‘Afropeans’ as a vocalist, cellist and featured artist. As a band leader and performer with other artists including Liam Noble, Nathaniel Facey (Empirical), Soundspecies UK, Zikalo, Sam Beste (Amy Winehouse), Dave Preston (Ian Shaw), Alex Douglas and Soul II Soul, she has performed at Glasgow Jazz Festival, the Hay Festival, Royal Festival Hall, City of London Festival, the Vortex, Ocean, Manchester Jazz Festival, the Jazz Café, the Nottingham Playhouse, and Mela Festival (Oslo) amongst numerous venues. In addition to this, she has been offered a weekly residency at the British Luxury Club.
Her radio credits include original material on Courtney Pine’s Jazz Crusade - BBC Radio 3, In Tune -BBC Radio 2 and the BBC Asian Network. Ayanna was also invited to feature as a cellist and musical arranger for the BBC documentary Little Angels. Earlier this year Ayanna was commissioned by the Liverpool Lighthouse to compose a choral piece for young vocalists in the Merseyside area to commemorate the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade and she has also been commissioned to compose the soundtrack for the feature length film Disoriented Generation.
Ayanna also has experience as a Compositional Workshop Leader, working alongside Jackie Walduck for the Creative Partnerships Scheme in asoociation with the ‘Raising the Roof’ programme for a school in the Borough of Lewisham. This has led to managing her current project Sojourner Truth’s Story in connection with Kori Arts working towards a performance at the National Portrait Gallery later this year.Ayanna is also a member of the National Youth Theatre and Youth Forum of the National Portrait Gallery.
PRESS QUOTES
“..one of our rising stars of the future.”
Courtney Pine
“What a VOCALIST!”
Burnt Progress Records
On Ayanna’s 7-piece band:
“With cello and piano at her disposal as well as a strong, vibrant flexible voice, Ayanna Witter-Johnson has a great deal going for her… She has talent in abundance plus an engaging stage manner, so shouldn’t have to struggle too hard to establish herself in a somewhat overcrowded scene. Her original material is individual enough to be striking and her solo (cello-backed) visit to the..Police anthem ‘Roxanne’ hints at a refreshingly singular attitude to ‘covers’.
Chris Parker, Vortex Review
On Ayanna’s compositions:
“There is much of beauty, especially in colour, texture (and) a certain spiritual quality throughout.”
Dominic Murcott
Hi Ayanna, thanks for the add and your lovely comments. Would be great to meet and talk music! I will make sure I get to one of your gigs very soon...Love your cello/vocal performance of 'Roxanne'. Incredible! I got goose bumps! X
Ahh man! You did well getting down there on schedule,I know the guys appreciated that,and Baby got them nice and deep into the groove by the time I hit it so I was happy to be riding the wave,I'm telling you!Thanxs tho,and thanks TOO for letting me drag you up to do bv's brfore you even had a chance to spy the kettle chips and organic juice! A bit tipsy ? I'm not one to comment on such things...I try and stay PURE you know...gotta go now,3 hour meditation class(in my bed!) followed by some bikram yoga (in my shower!) then intense studio sesh (in my bedroom) then high profile gig (infront of bedroom mirror!).Oh the life of a muso dahling,see you at the after show (prob on myspace!)
have a lovely time away,enjoy. love to you,thanks for the smiles Lady W-J
Squeeze my throbbing pain Let me exhilarate in vain Skin me with your kindness While I die again And again from happiness.
I groove in my grave And explore the core of your crave. I question my judgment While I attempt to be brave In a coma’s confinement.
I want you, now and fast I want it all to last I desire that scent, you If know you must So you can want me too.
Smother my flame with your love From my feet to my head above; Douse my desire with your kiss Kill it all, my dove Try this time not to miss.
Make me a living organism Fake me a multiple orgasm Show me the secrets of your tunnel To the very ground of the chasm So I can feel the color of its panel
Suck my breath away Far away to another day When an unborn child shall reign In the steamy month of may Where I lie with my heart by love slain.
from the book '.f.l.o.a.t.i.n.g.' by Nana S. Achampong
thank you for being my friend. this is to a wonder-filled week. stay blessed and keep shining. Nana
Hey lady. It's been a while. Not sure you even remember me! Anyway, hope you're well. I know you've been busy as Ive been seeing your name pop up 1ce in a while. Hope to catch you live over the summer.
thanks for commenting back! hope your enjoying all your gigs and what not! and yea, as i said i have a kinda natural sound i try and keep, hopefully one day i can actualy use real instruments rather then reason patches lol i shall defo come see you live again soon! untill then. . .Farewell Accretion xx
Hey there!! just reminding you that you blew me away the other day! reall likeing the songs on your profile too, they are awesome! hopefully see you at B6 again soon! Accretion (turtle)
Be lovely to see you at our next concert on June 27th at Wiltons Music Hall in aid of the sam and ruby charity (www. samandruby. com).
We'll joined by the amazing accordionist Milos Milivojevic and tango dancers Yohann Le Grande and Sophie Milner.
We'll be playing our versions of Gypsy, Balkan, Jewish and Tango classics as well as new compositions written for us by Ben Oliver and Robert Fokkens.
Hope to see you there!
Meg, Laura and Harriet x
Kosmos perform at Wiltons Music Hall in aid of the Sam and Ruby charity. www. samandruby. com Friday June 27th. Doors open 7.00pm and concert starts 7.45pm. Tickets £20 on the door, £15 if bought in advance. Box office - 0207 226 5647 or email kosmos@kosmosensemble.com Wiltons Music Hall, Grace's Alley, off Ensign Street, E1 8JP
ONE PERFECT AND BLESSED LOVE give thx so much for da support and da friendship! Large up to u! keep da positive vibz by ur side and keep on shinin! Guidance and protection take care one love :D
