Saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Emma Johnson is a Leeds based, Lancashire born musician. Over the past 10 years, Johnson has cultivated a career where variety is key but her love of melody, connection and collaboration stays at the root of everything she does.
With her band, Emma Johnson’s Gravy Boat, she draws together her range of artistic passions, from singer songwriters, jazz, folk and film scores, to create a rich, cinematic sound called 'one of the most refreshingly imaginative and perfectly configured acts in contemporary jazz' by Trust The Doc.
Outside her role as a bandleader, Emma shines as a collaborator helping to bring other artist’s ideas to life. In her work as a side person on woodwinds and piano, and as a horn section arranger and performer, she thrives on finding the right part and getting to the root of what songs need, both in the studio and live.
Recently, she has worked with Easy Life, Los Campesinos and Reverend and the Makers and performed at venues including the Royal Albert Hall.
Firmly rooted in the North, Emma is passionate about sharing the possibility (and reality!) of a career in music with young people, and regularly produces and delivers workshops, most recently in twelve schools in the North West as part of EQTY in Music's Future Sound Live scheme.
Recently, Emma has been delving into the world of composition outside of her work with Gravy Boat - completing her first big band commission for Hull Jazz Festival, working on a collaborative project with Home/Lands (Alicia Gardener Trejo) and creating a studio space to be able to write and record remotely.