Former MSA Jazz Director Dr. Greg Johnson returned to the band room last week, sharing his many skills with students in both Jazz classes. Johnson, affectionately known as Dr. J, currently teaches Jazz ensembles, arranging and improvisation in the Jazz Studies program at Sacramento State University.
Teaching artists like Dr. J are an essential part of the MSA experience, bringing unique perspectives and knowledge to students. With over 40 mainstream recordings, Dr. J is known for his distinctive saxophone sound and compositional style that has found its way into multiple genres of Jazz, Classical and Popular music. His recent work has appeared on the GRAMMY ballot in six categories for his albums “Philosopher’s Path” and “Visions of Kansas City.”