Jesse Charnow/Drums, Armando Cepeda/Bass, Seth Blumberg/Guitar, Gilbert Castellanos/Trumpet, Leonard Patton/Vocals, Audrey Surface/Vocals, Lisa Sanders/Vocals, Leo Dombecki/Keys + Sax, Ryan Montana/Sax, Ernest Lane/Keys + Vocals, Mac Johnson/Trumpet, and me! =) Steph Johnson/Guitar+Vocals.
Influences
Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Anita Baker, Ray Charles, Steely Dan, Meshell Ndegeocello, Olive, Zero 7, Massive Attack, Groove Armada, Dave Brubeck, Sting, Bill Withers and Miles Davis to name a few.
Sounds Like
mmmmmmmmmm... your music is like a great Sunday brunch after a great Saturday night! ....and then a nap. Mmmmmmm..... : )
----durty insight by Rusty Jones.
Blending Blues, Soul, Jazz, and R&B, Steph Johnson is that rare talent that captures your attention from the first note. Whether hearing her music in a live setting or on her recordings, Johnson has an amazing presence, topped off by that voice. Powerful, sultry. Then theres her deft rhythmic, jazz inflected guitar playing. All backed up by her absolute command of the stage.
In 2004 Johnson released her debut EP, A Demonstration, and continued to build a following, her hard work resulting in a nomination in the category of Best Acoustic Performer at the 2005 San Diego Music Awards. 2006 was a banner year for Johnson with the release of her debut album, Genesee Avenue, which garnered a nomination for Best Local Recording at the San Diego Music Awards. She also spent the year touring the west coast, playing famed LA clubs The Temple Bar, Genghis Cohen, The Mint, and The Coach House opening for Vonda Shepard and returning numerous times to the Belly Up as a full band act opening for artists such as Concord Jazz Recordings' own, Poncho Sanchez.
In 2007 Johnson had two of her original songs used in the movie Skidmarks. As she continued to peform throughout Southern California, working in multiple festivals and clubs, she received her third San Diego Music Award nomination for Best Acoustic. However, things were much less than acoustic for Johnson as she embraced her new backing band, The Kings of Rhythm. A band which included Ernest Lane, Mac Johnson, Seth Blumberg, Leo Dombecki, Jesse Charnow, Ryan Montana, Paul Smith, and Armando Cepeda. A band that has backed artists such as Tina and Ike Turner, Ray Charles, James Brown, Anoushka Shankar and more. With this new found stellar support, Steph is finally pushed to the forefront of where the old Soul meets the new. This is where the energy of Blues, Funk, and Soul music was originally cultivated - and these are the giants of music that inspired Steph to pick up a guitar, sing, and write her own songs.
In 2008, Johnson will bring this all star band to Strate Sound Studios to work with Alan Sanderson (Elton John, Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello) to record an EP as well as a Jazz Christmas album, set to be released this November.
Hey you! Yeah, I'm talkin' to YOU!!! Please check the calendar for exciting dates this year as we work on the new album in 2008! And make sure you say hi and post a comment! =)
