A smiling man with curly hair and a beard sitting on a green chair, holding a trumpet, wearing a green jacket, white sneakers, and multiple beaded necklaces, in a minimalist white room.

Discography

Kris is an in-demand composer and arranger whose previous work includes Grammy- and Emmy-nominated projects. A curated selection of that work is included to preview below.

Kris’ Album

Collage of six album covers and posters related to Kris Johnson, featuring images of people, abstract art, and musical instruments.

Kris' own recordings provide an excellent picture of his skill, versatility, creative insight, and thoughtfulness as a composer or arranger. 

2019

All About That Basie

(Count Basie Orchestra)

Black and white poster for a performance of 'All About That Bass' by The Count Basie Orchestra, directed by Scotty Barnhart, featuring Carmen Bradford, Jamie Davis, Joey DeFrancisco, Kurt Elling, Jon Faddis, Wycliffe Gordon, Take 6, and Stevie Wonder.

Kris contributed three arrangements ("Hello," "Hallelujah," and "Can't Hide Love") to this record, which was Grammy-nominated for "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album 2018."

2015

A Very Swingin' Basie Christmas

(Count Basie Orchestra)

Album cover for The Count Basie Orchestra with a snowy winter scene and a house in a forest, promoting a Christmas-themed swing music album.

Kris contributed the arrangement of "Let it Snow" to this record. The album also featured the track, "Good Swing Wenceslas," arranged by Sammy Nestico, which was Grammy-nominated for "Best Arrangement Instrumental or A Cappella."

Featured Projects

The Kris Johnson Group

Originally formed in 2007, the Kris Johnson Group plays an eclectic blend of Detroit-infused original music. Kris gathered the founding members from friendships formed in high school, under the tutelage of Marcus Belgrave, whose inspiration led them to genre-bending artistry. The result is a dynamic ensemble that explores an array of grooves from the Black American Music canon and themes of freedom and fearless self-expression.

#looptherapy

Kris' #looptherapy is explorative of the deep personal work he has undergone in recent years as he has explored breaking out of generational trauma. The circular nature of trauma has fascinated Kris, and #looptherapy artistically represents breaking through toxic patterns.

The project was originally released in video format on Kris' social media channels, but has since expanded into a full album and live solo performances.

YouTube Channel

A blurred, dark-colored background with no distinguishable objects or features.
A man with glasses and a patterned jacket singing into a microphone with a keyboard in the background.
A man singing into a microphone with eyes closed and hands raised, wearing glasses and a patterned jacket, performing in front of a grand piano on a stage.
Blurred image with two overlapping dark blue and brown rectangles.
Screenshot of a video playlist titled 'Gear Reviews' by Kris Johnson, featuring a thumbnail with a person's hand playing a piano, and text about a studio update on a Fender Rhodes from the 1970s found in grandma's basement.
A person playing a Fender Rhodes keyboard in a basement, with text overlay about a studio update and finding the instrument in Grandma's basement.
Blurred image with brown and beige tones, no distinguishable objects or details.
Cover art for Kris Johnson's live music video playlist, showing a man playing guitar and a woman singing into a microphone.
A man playing the trumpet during a performance with a woman sitting nearby. The man has curly hair and a beard, and the woman has long dark hair.
Visit Youtube Channel