Biography & Career
Technically trained and road schooled in addition to the gift of a natural touch, Aaron Johnston has been dazzling in stand out performances for his entire career. A graduate of Wichita State University_м_s well-respected music program, Aaron studied jazz drumming and classical percussion as well as plunging into four years of intense world percussion. He served as professor_м_s assistant and as director of the Wichita, Kansas Escola De Samba while obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree.
During all of this formal training Aaron managed to build on technique without losing any of his intuitive feel. This was proven true when within months of moving to the Los Angles area Aaron had secured the number one call and began recording for people like Desmond Child and touring with the Pete Escovedo Orchestra among others.
A following move took Aaron to the San Francisco Bay Area where he was hired for some of the most sought after gigs in town. He found himself performing and recording with the Darol Anger/Mike Marshall band, Mike Marshall_м_s Choro Famoso, Darol Angers Heritage Project, featuring Willie Nelson and Mary Chapin Carpenter, Andy Narell,Pete Escovedo, Shela E, Omar Sosa, Tony Furtado, Claudia Vilela, Faye Carol, John Tchicai, Pan Ramajay, and the group Katoja. Additionally he was producing and recording three jazz CDs with his own group Blue People.
In 1998 Aaron relocated to New York City, there he's served partly as a studio drummer, and performed with everyone from local legends like Ron Afiff(subbing for Jeff Tain Watts), The Sex Mob, Matt Garrison, Clark Gayton's Explorations in Dub, and Peter Aphelbaum's hyrogliphics orchestra, butch morris orchestra, wax poetic, love trio, to Harry Belafonte and Me_м_shell Ndegeocello Aaron worked with Latin pop star Thalia as well as being a full-time member of Brazilian Girls. Brazilian Girls, on Universal Verve Records have released 3 records and in which the 3rd was nominated for best Electronic Dance album of the year. Additionally he has contributed to the film scores for director Morgan Freeman_м_s Desert Blue, and another independent film, Hostage, and most recently a Paramount Picures film called OKA Amerikee, a film based on the music from the Bayaka tribe in Africa.---( suggestion) --- just before relocating his family to Madrid, Spain he start a new band with his long time friends Jesse, Jason, and Gabe called, California, getting back to his roots so to speak,(or something like that anyway----
Currently living in Madrid, Spain, Aaron quickly secured work with Latin pop star from the Spanish POP band Mecano, Ana Torroja. Back in New York he recorded her last solo record along with recording for Miguel Bose's last record, and his newest record to come. Aaron still goes back to New York about every 3 months for numerous work. Besides Brazilian Girls, whom now have rejoined, are currently playing shows again and are working on their 4th record to take over the world:) He has a long list of recordings, he has a new project called California, with members Jesse Murphy, Jason Darling, and Gabe Gordon.