"2009 Jazz Artist of the Year," EARL R. JOHNSON JR. - Performing at Cafe' Cordiale' in Sherman Oaks, Thursday, October 29 October 29, 2009

(SHERMAN OAKS, CA) – In what is rapidly becoming a banner year of accomplishments and accolades, Los Angeles-based pianist/composer Earl R. Johnson, Jr. won the “2009 Jazz Artist of the Year” at the recent 5th Annual South Bay (Los Angeles) Music Awards in Southern California. The talented musician – fresh off a Featured Artist performance at the 2009 Inland Empire Community Festival in Ontario -- was selected as one of only six Finalists to compete in the “6th Annual Capital Jazz Challenge in Columbia, MD this past Spring. Johnson is also a Nominee in the “Jazz Artist of the Year” category for the “19th Annual Los Angeles Music Awards,” happening Thursday, November 12 at the Avalon Theater in Hollywood, Calif.
Locally, Earl R. Johnson Jr. headlines at Café Cordiale, 14015 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, Thursday, October 29. Shows at 9:30 and 11:00 p.m. Free. Info: (818) 789-1985 or log onto www.cafecordiale.com.
Johnson was contacted last Summer by President Barack Obama's campaign team, asking if he’s play solo piano for a private fund raiser here in Los Angeles. Of course, he accepted. It was truly an honor and one of the more recent highlights of my career,” the musician says.
JUICY (First Domain Records) is Johnson’s highly-anticipated debut CD release. Cognitive and funky, Johnson has been heralded as one of the premiere composers/ producers of this era due to his electric, fiery performing style.
JUICY is an eclectic look into the mind of this prolific producer and songwriter, taking the listener on a complete musical journey with ten original masterpieces. Earl makes the piano sing with all of the finesse and fluidity of a modern-day virtuoso; each song pulls you deeper into Johnson’s musical world, leaving its listener in high anticipation of what’s to come next. Whether listening to one of the highly-charged (virtually danceable) red-hot tracks (“That Thang”); soulful, pensive ballads (“Requiem”), or funk/jazz/r&b-tinged title track, there’s literally something for everyone on JUICY.
BILLBOARD MAGAZINE called JUICY “a tempting mix of instrumental and vocal tracks as it skillfully shifts from smooth to funky with its shadings of R&B and hip-hop.”

JUICY is available at Zahra's Books N Things in Inglewood, CA; Soundsations Records in Westchester, CA; 7th Heaven (and) Streetside Records in Kansas City, MO; Sound of Market in Philadelphia; Dimensions in Music in Baltimore, MD; Dusty Groove America in Chicago, IL; (and) Music and More in York, PA, as well as online at www.cdbaby.com/earlrjohnsonjr and ITunes.

October 10-17 CAPITAL JAZZ SUPER CRUISE ` Baltimore, MD
October 24 ` AFRICAN AMERICAN FIREFIGHTERS MUSEUM Los Angeles, CA
October 25 CAFÉ SEVILLA Riverside, CA
October 29 CAFÉ CORDIALE Sherman Oaks, CA
November 12 LOS ANGELES MUSIC AWARDS Hollywood, CA

JUICY REVIEW CDS, EARL R. JOHNSON JR. INTERVIEWS, AND SHOW PASSES ARE AVAILABLE.
http://cdbaby.com/earlrjohnsonjr. www.earljohnsonjr.com

Official Website: http://www.cafecordiale.com