Blessed by the blues, cool with teaching: Joel Johnson's jazzed about festival

International guitarist, composer, and music professor, Joel Johnson, settles back in Tallahassee to share his musical passion at this year's Cool Breeze Art and Smooth Jazz Festival, which runs April 13-15 at various locations around town.

Self-taught and self-sought

Legends like George Benson, West Montgomery, B.B. King, Bobby Bland, and Jimi Hendrix filled the radio waves of a young Joel Johnson’s life. With their swinging bass sounds and sweet guitar solos, the blues awoke in Johnson a deep-seated desire to play the blues and its sister, jazz.

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Orlando public schools limited Johnson’s access to playing in band and chorus, neither of which interested him. Determined to play on tour with Tina Turner and Janet Jackson, Johnson meticulously used his gifted ear to discern the notes and chords that made songs like Prince’s "Purple Rain" and any Van Halen solo so epic.

“I started listening to those guitarists that intrigued me as a child. I never thought I could figure out that complicated stuff. I certainly liked it,” says Johnson. “I didn’t even know how to tune a guitar … but over time, I started to figure some things out.” The same determination has since led Johnson to perform in 36 countries with renowned musicians like the James Brown Band, Dr. John, The Drifters, and The Platters.

From rock scene to academia

In the early '90s, Johnson was living the life of a rock star. He was touring the world as a guitarist. A stint as a pit player in the musical "Bubbling Brown Sugar" brought Johnson to Edinburgh, Scotland. He enjoyed connecting to other music and musicians there but felt the experience left him wanting.

Johnson was hit with the reality that although the life of a musician provided one with access to alcohol and a lively party scene, the one thing it did not offer was steady money. Johnson realized then that his goals were not to be famous and live a lavish loud life; he wanted to be boring; he wanted a career.

Johnson called his mother and, as mothers do, she simplified it all by asking, "What do you want to do?"

Johnson decided to return to graduate school. With the bit of money he had, Johnson caught a flight back to the States, where he eventually hopped into his 1970-something mismatched Honda Civic hatchback and drove up to Virginia to attend Norfolk State University.

At 24 years old, Johnson had taken control and immersed himself in academia as a student and graduate assistant. “It was my first two weeks teaching at a college level, and something weird happened,” Johnson recalls. “I actually started to love the idea of teaching what I do. It wasn’t even on the radar. It was supposed to be a placeholder until Janet Jackson called me. And that became the beginning of a college teaching career.”

Johnson continued at Norfolk State to receive his master's in Music Theory and Composition and teach as a full-time professor. A call from his undergraduate alma mater lured him back to South Carolina, where he took over the music program at South Carolina State University.

Eventually seeking a terminal degree, Johnson attended Florida State University’s Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies: Music Education and Higher Education doctoral program. Johnson remains in Tallahassee and teaches as a tenured Associate Professor of Music Industry & Modern Guitar at Albany State University. His pedagogical approach is simply to engage a practical understanding of how to get a sound while cultivating a love for music.

A Cool Breeze sways through Tallahassee

When asked what project makes him most proud, without hesitation, Johnson answers: “Becoming a father.” Although his son is grown and currently a junior at Old Dominion University, Johnson’s need to nurture remains in the music he plays.

The Joel Johnson Band will open for the leading artist, Bob Baldwin, at this year’s Cool Breeze Art and Smooth Jazz Festival. Johnson is grateful to return to this festival, one he has been asked to participate in since the first year it began.

In addition to Johnson and Baldwin, this year’s festival at Cascades Park features Leon High School Jazz Ensemble, The Chapman Family Band and the FAMU Jazz Ensemble.

Johnson describes the event as a true festival that brings in as many local, regional and national artists as it can. This festival encourages collaboration between the music and visual arts and welcomes the community to feel the energy of Jazz and share in its joy.

If you go

What: Cool Breeze Art and Smooth Jazz Festival, featuring The Joel Johnson Band

When: April 13-15; Saturday, beginning at 1pm

Where: Cascades Park and various locations

Cost: Free and open to the public; VIP access and student VIP tickets beginning at $20 to $50.

Contact: 850-510-7354 | coolbreezejazzfestival@gmail.com; coolbreezejazzfestival.com

Christy Rodriguez de Conte is the feature writer for the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA). COCA is the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (www.tallahasseearts.org).

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Cool Breeze Festival's Joel Johnson took passion for jazz to college