JOSH JOHNSON:

(Booking Worldwide)

Responsible Agent:
Chris Weller
chris@bigfishbookingco.com

Territories:
Worldwide (excluding Europe)

WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TWITTER (X)
hi-res pROMO PHOTOS
long bio
short biO

LINEUP:

Josh Johnson:
Josh Johnson - alto saxophone & effects

TOUR:

Tue 10/27/2026: Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon

Tue 11/03/2026: Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center (co-bill w/ Jeremiah Chiu)

Thu 12/10/2026: Brooklyn, NY @ Public Records

2027 - Available upon request

2028 - Available upon request

NEW ALBUM:

animative - October 23 on International Anthem & Nonesuch Records

VIDEOS:

BIO:

SHORT BIO:
Josh Johnson is a saxophonist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and Grammy Award-winning producer. He is a regular collaborator with some of contemporary music’s most innovative artists, including Jeff Parker, Makaya McCraven, Brandee Younger, and Joel Ross. Johnson is a member of the quintet SML, Jeff Parker ETA IVtet, Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes trio, and Openness Trio with Nate Mercereau and Carlos Niño. Recently, Johnson produced and performed on Flea's debut solo album, Honora. Johnson produced and appears on Meshell Ndegeocello’s album, The Omnichord Real Book, which was awarded the 2024 Grammy for Best Alternative Jazz Album. He can also be heard on wide-ranging records by artist such as Harry Styles, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Moonchild, Keifer, Broken Bells, Miley Cyrus, and Louis Cole, among many others. He currently resides in Los Angeles.


LONG BIO:
Josh Johnson is a saxophonist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and Grammy Award-winning producer. His unique presence and tone are immediately recognizable, and paired with his superlative musicianship, have made him a sought-after collaborator. Johnson regularly performs and records with some of contemporary music’s most innovative artists, including Jeff Parker, Makaya McCraven, Meshell Ndegeocello, Brandee Younger, and Joel Ross.

Animative, Johnson’s third solo album, out October 23, 2026 on International Anthem/Nonesuch, is a marvel of electro-acoustic innovation that combines compositional brilliance and technological ambition into a mesmerizing blend of skeletal soul-jazz, post-bop, electronic minimalism, and dreamy ambience. The ten track album, co-produced by Johnson and Paul Bryan, features contributions from Meshell Ndegeocello, Macie Stewart, Marquis Hill, Ben Lumsdaine, and more. His previous two albums, 2020’s Freedom Exercise and 2024’s Unusual Object, both released on Northern Spy, were widely praised as “excellent, daringly melodic” (Pitchfork), Rolling Stone’s Best Music of 2020, and for “exciting, previously unheard combinations of sound.” (Popmatters) 

Johnson is a member of the innovative quintet SML, whose 2024 debut album, Small Medium Large, (International Anthem) was released to wide acclaim and a Billboard cameo on the Contemporary Jazz charts. Their 2025 album, How You Been (International Anthem) landed on numerous best of the year lists and caught the attention of the New York Times, who published an in-depth feature on the band. 2026’s Spontaneous Music Live (International Anthem), an album of unedited sidelong improvisations, offered a glimpse into the psychedelic realism and linear, hypnotic expansion of SML’s live sound. The album earned Pitchfork’s ‘Best New Album’ and Paste declared, “On Spontaneous Music Live, SML stakes its claim as one of America's best bands.”

As a longstanding member of Jeff Parker’s lauded ETA IVtet, Johnson has performed on 2022’s Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy (Eremite Records) and 2024’s The Way Out of Easy (International Anthem/Nonesuch) – both garnered Pitchfork’s ‘Best New Music’ accolade (the latter of which debuted on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz charts). In 2026 Jeff Parker ETA IVtet released the album and concert film, Happy Today (International Anthem/Nonesuch) further cementing the quartet’s reputation as one of the most masterful groups working today. Johnson has previously made notable contributions to Parker’s catalog including 2016’s The New Breed and 2020’s Suite for Max Brown.

Johnson’s other most recent recording projects include a pair of trio albums, both released in 2025. Openness Trio (Blue Note), with guitarist and producer Nate Mercereau and percussionist Carlos Niño and Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes (International Anthem), with guitarist and IAP/SML colleague Gregory Uhlmann and LA jazz fixture, bassist Sam Wilkes.

Johnson is quickly gaining notoriety as an in-demand record producer. Recently, Johnson produced and performed on Flea's debut solo album, Honora (Nonesuch). Johnson produced and appears on Meshell Ndegeocello’s album, The Omnichord Real Book (Blue Note), which was awarded the 2024 Grammy for Best Alternative Jazz Album.

Between 2018 and 2022, Johnson held the role of Musical Director for soul singer Leon Bridges, with whom he also played keyboards and saxophone. During his time with Bridges, Johnson performed throughout Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, with performances at the Hollywood Bowl, Glastonbury and the Sydney Opera House. Along with Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes), Johnson arranged 14 of Bridges’ songs for a performance with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, also contributing a choral arrangement and directing the concert. 

His distinctive sound can be heard on wide-ranging recordings by artists such as Harry Styles, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Moonchild, Keifer, Broken Bells, Miley Cyrus, and Louis Cole among many others. He currently resides in Los Angeles.