Johnson, Molly

Molly Johnson was born in 1959 ^[1] in the family of an African American father and a white mother ^[2] . Molly Johnson started performing in childhood in the mid -60s , when she and her own brother Clark were selected by producer Ed Mirwish to participate in the opera Porgy and Bess , staged in Toronto at the Royal Alexandra Theater . Then followed the participation in the musicals South Pacific , Rainbow Finian and others. Soon, a budding girl was enrolled in the National Canadian Ballet School - Molly wanted to become a choreographer - and attended her until she was 15 years old. She also studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts.

At 17, Molly Johnson began singing in the pop group A Chocolate Affair , but the group lasted a little over a year and broke up. According to the singer herself, she wanted to sing her own songs, and not to perform the hits of other authors over and over again. In 1979, Molly, together with Norman Orenstein, created the eclectic funk- art group Alta Moda (Molly Johnson - vocals, Norman Orenstein - guitars , keyboards , drum machines , Ethric Lions - bass and back vocals , Stephen Zhelinu - electronic drums and Greg Krantz in charge of the video). The group soon became one of the brightest representatives of the progressive concert venue Queen Street . The musicians managed to sign a contract with Sony Music and release an album of the same name. The single Julian rotated well on the radio, became a hit and was even nominated for a Juneau Prize. Molly Johnson was nicknamed "Queen Street Diva", but commercial success was small.

The next group of Molly Johnson was the hard rock The Infidels , formed by the very same Orenstein. The group signed a contract with the IRS and recorded The Infidels , two songs from which 100 Watt Bulb and Celebrate also became quite famous. In 1992, the record company lost interest in the group and it broke up.

Along with participation in rock groups, Molly Johnson was engaged in jazz. At that time, she lived in the bohemian hotel-bar Cameron Public House in Queen Street, where she met Herb Tuki and Bill Grove, who gave her the first jazz lessons. Together with Aaron Davis and double bass player David Pitch, she took part in a trio called Blue Mondays . The trio performed from time to time, both in Cameron House and beyond, including the prestigious The Royal York Hotel's Imperial Room . According to Molly Johnson, she began to sing American jazz, trying to learn how to write good pop tunes. The success of the rock groups in which she performed was largely determined by the atmosphere of the show, and the singer believed that she should follow the path of George Gershwin and Duke Ellington .

Following the breakup of The Infidels , the frustrated Molly Johnson devoted herself to organizing a charity concert called Kumbaya to help HIV- infected and AIDS patients . The concert was held annually for four years, with its help more than a million dollars were collected, and many Canadian stars, such as Rush and Sarah McLachan, took part in it. By the end of the 90s, Molly Johnson was thinking about ending her career altogether by concentrating on her family. By that time, the singer recorded only in session with other performers, as a backing vocalist. During this work, she met composer and producer Steve McKinnon, who suggested that she try to record several of his songs. The partnership turned out to be fruitful, and Molly Johnson's jazz pop album, which was recorded in Steve McKinnon’s living room featuring guest renowned French jazz singer Stephanie Grapelli, was released in 2000 and received critical acclaim. In the year the album was released, the first two singles My Oh My and Diamond in My Hand were requested by listeners on Canadian radio nine thousand times. In six songs on the album, Molly Johnson acted as a co-author. However, the record company that released the album went bankrupt, and the singer was left with nothing again. However, after the release of the album, she gained a reputation as a composer and modern interpreter of jazz and popular standards. This allowed her to sign a contract with Universal Music Canada. The next album, Another Day, Molly Johnson released three years later, and he gained popularity not only in Canada but especially in France . The popularity of the singer in Europe contributed to the tour. In 2004, Molly Johnson performed at the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival , becoming the first Canadian jazz singer to participate in the festival.

The next album, Messin 'Around, was recorded in 2006 with longtime co-authors drummer Mark Macklin, bassist Mike Downs, flutist and saxophonist Colin Allen, guitarist Rob Pilch and pianist Andrei Craig. The album was recorded live for two weeks: the group avoided overlays whenever possible. According to the singer, this is exactly what a good jazz recording should be, and only in this way can one check whether the songs will capture the audience in concert. ^[3] . The album has an interesting treatment of the famous Bruce Springsteen song Streets of Philadelphia . After the release of the album, the singer toured for a long time in Canada, France and the United States.

In 2008, Lucky released an album containing jazz standards. The album was recorded in the summer of 2008 for only three days, featuring musicians such as pianist and saxophonist Phil Dyer, drummers Mark Macklin and Ben Riley and bassist Mike Downes. In March 2009, the album was awarded the Juneau Prize in the nomination “Best Vocal Jazz Album of the Year” (all Molly Johnson's albums were nominated for this award in 2001, 2003 and 2007), and the singer received the prestigious national jazz award in the same year as best jazz singer.

Also in 2008, Molly Johnson was awarded the Order of Canada by the highest Canadian civilian award for her creative and charitable activities, becoming an officer of the order. ^[four]

Molly Johnson’s last album to date was released in 2011 under the name The Molly Johnson Songbook , it is a collection of the singer’s best songs and previously unreleased songs: Daniel Water Lanua and recorded during the Lucky session, but not included on the album by Cole Porter ^{[ five]}

Molly Johnson lives in Toronto, her brother Clark and sister Tabitha are also actors and musicians.

Toronto Jazz Festival Day One. Molly Johnson Quartet & Robi Botos:

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Globe and Mail :

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With Alta Moda

• Alta Moda (1987)

With Infidels

• Infidels (1991)

Solo

• Molly Johnson (2000)
• Another Day (2003)
• Messin 'Around (2006)
• If You Know Love (2007)
• Lucky (2008)
• The Molly Johnson Songbook (2011)
• Because Of Billie (2014)