Molly Johnson

Born in Canada, Johnson calls Toronto, Ontario, her home and ranks among the jazz vocalists whose emergence at the start of the new millennium generated the strongest anticipation. Her path in music opened early, producing engagements throughout North America and structured study at the National Ballet School of Canada as well as the Banff School of Fine Arts. She next entered the little-known 1980s art-rock band Alta Moda and afterward performed with Infidels in the opening years of the 1990s. During that same stretch she also contributed background vocals for several Canadian rock acts, among them Helix, Jeff Healey, and Tom Cochrane. Jazz nevertheless remained her central focus, guiding her rise to the upper tier of Canadian singers in the genre, appearances at leading national venues, and opening slots for Ray Charles and B.B. King. While her profile grew she established the Kumbaya Foundation, later adding the Kumbaya Festival, both created to support care for people diagnosed with AIDS and HIV. Her first solo album, Molly Johnson, appeared in 2000; two years later came Another Day. The follow-up carried a more immediate concert character, in part through the participation of her road ensemble—multi-instrumentalist and singer Colleen Allen, pianist Andrew Craig, bassist Mike Downes, and drummer Mark McLean.