The one and only Molly Johnson hits North Shore via Vancouver International Jazz Festival, June 24
The Toronto-based highly decorated singer-songwriter has fans around the globe
Molly Johnson
BlueShore at CapU presents Molly Johnson in the North Shore Jazz series as part of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival on June 24 at 8 pm at SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts [*note that the venue has changed from the originally scheduled BlueShore at CapU]
TORONTO’S MOLLY JOHNSON was in grade school in the mid-1960s when she appeared in Porgy and Bess at the Royal Alexander Theatre, she and her brother having been sought out by Ed Mirvish. Decades later, she is one of Canada’s most respected jazz singer-songwriters and philanthropists, with followers around the globe. And she’s coming to the West Coast for BlueShore at Cap U’s North Shore Jazz series as part of the 2023 Vancouver International Jazz Festival.
Johnson will perform with her rock-solid quartet, which includes bassist Mike Downes, pianist Robi Botos, and drummer Davide DiRenzo.
The artist’s list of accomplishments and accolades is long.
On International Women’s’ Day this year, Johnson was awarded the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government; she is also a Governor General Performing Arts Award recipient.
Having studied at the National Ballet School, Johnson started writing her own songs in her youth, first fronting a disco band, then forming an art-rock group that became the Infidels. Jazz soon became more prominent in her world.
Molly Johnson. Photo by Gabor Jurina
Her albums include her 2000 self-titled debut, which led to comparisons to Billie Holiday for her smoky vocals. Then came the 2003 jazz-pop release Another Day, which gave rise to stardom in France; and 2006’s Messin’ Around, which blended pop, jazz, and Tin Pan Alley-style lyrics. Johnson’s Lucky, from 2008, won a Juno Award for Best Vocal Jazz Album and the 2009 National Jazz Award for Best Female Vocalist. She made a tribute album to the aforementioned artist she looked up to with Because of Billie in 2014. Her 2018 release, Meaning To Tell Ya, was produced by multiple Grammy-winning producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, Madeleine Peyroux, Norah Jones). The disc deftly blends sass, funk, soul, groove, and pop. “Molly has the kind of musical gift that cannot be cultivated by musical education or assiduous practice,” Klein said in a release. “She has great natural musical instincts, and an irresistible signature to her voice. She is a rare and wonderful talent.”
A proud mother, Johnson is a member of the Order of Canada who has performed alongside the likes of Blue Rodeo, Tom Jones, and Anne Murray, among many other luminaries. She has sung for Quincy Jones, Nelson Mandela, and the late Princess Diana.
Johnson does a great deal of charitable work, including running her self-founded Kumbaya Foundation and Festival in 1992, raising awareness and funds for people living with HIV/AIDS. In 2016, Johnson launched the Kensington Market Jazz Festival, which hosts more than 400 Canadian musicians every year.
