Canadian jazz legend Molly Johnson mixed together playfulness, memorable melodic hooks and great grooves into her performance last night in Orleans.
It’s been a long cold winter in Ottawa and it was a treat to come in out of the cold and soothe into the famously smokey voice of one of Canada’s greatest jazz vocalists, the incredible Molly Johnson. Johnson has performed to sold-out halls throughout Canada and the world, including performances for icons like the Prince and late Princess of Wales, Nelson Mandela and the legendary producer and trumpeter Quincy Jones. In addition to winning multiple Juno awards, which she says she uses as door stops, Molly has been awarded the Queen’s Jubilee medal, and in 2008, became an Officer of The Order Of Canada. This rare distinction was given to Molly to recognize her philanthropic work for a variety of causes and for her international contributions to the arts.
Johnson began as a child performer, receiving formal training from the National Ballet School and the Banff School of fine Arts. Raised in Toronto, Johnson started her career in the mid-1960s when, as a young grade schooler, she and her brother were tapped by Toronto producer Ed Mirvish to appear in Porgy and Bess at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. She was lead vocalist for two rock bands, Alta Moda in the 1980s and Infidels in the 1990s. Beginning in 1993, she established an annual concert series, the Kumbaya Festival as a benefit for Canadian charities working around HIV and AIDS. From 1992 to 1995 Kumbaya was broadcast live by MuchMusic, and featured Canada’s best talent including Rush, the Tragically Hip, Barenaked Ladies, and Sarah McLachlan.
Molly Johnson performs at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans. Photo: Renée Doiron
Although she has performed as a jazz singer throughout her career, including a stint with a band of backing musicians who would later become prominent in their own right as Big Sugar, she did not release a jazz album until her self-titled solo debut in 2000. She made history at the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival, becoming the first Canadian female vocalist in the festival’s 17-year history to sell out a show on the mainstage and was the weekend host of CBC Radio’s Radio 2 Morning from September 2008 until December 2013.
Having taken a step back from the limelight to raise her two teenage boys, she seems more than ready to reestablish a very important bond with her fans. Flanked by a very talented group of juno award-winning musicians and composers, she really got things moving along nicely with the Gil Scott-Heron tune, Lady Day and John Coltrane. I caught myself closing my eyes and allowing myself to be carried away by her sultry vocals. Keyboardist “or whatever instrument he chooses to play” Robi Botos gave a particularly strong performance, especially when Molly took a “I’m not going for a smoke” break mid-way through the set and left the boys to their own devices.
Molly’s album I was Meaning to Tell Ya was released in May of 2018 and she quipped that the cover is bright pink because, you know, her kids are into Missy Elliott these days. This album sees Molly at her best, featuring 10 newly recorded songs including seven originals and three amazing interpretations of classic tracks selected by Molly and Grammy-award winning producer Larry Klein. She and her band continue the tour in London and Cobourg over the coming weeks. You can get tickets here: https://www.mollyjohnson.com/tour
Molly Johnson performs at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans. Photo: Renée Doiron
