Chicago trumpeter, composer, arranger, and clinician Shaun Johnson is highly reverd amongst his peers for his creativity, humbleness and spirit towards the music. He is steadly establishing himself as a musician of great commitment, drawing inspiration from many different sources, and encompasses them all and much more. 


Groove Interior by Shaun Johnson

The Woody Shaw Effect by Shaun Johnson

The Shaun Johnson Quartet playing Wayne Shorter's El Gaucho, one of my favorite tunes!!

El Gaucho by Wayne Shorter

Trumpeter Shaun Johnson is one of the best up-and-coming musicians in Chicago. He is highly respected by his peers for his unique style, creativity and loving spirit towards music. Shaun believes music is a therapy through which he can interact with and uplift people. He is widely acclaimed as a captivating, yet humble, musician and seeks to share his love for the craft through live performances, mentorship and composition – a dream of his since childhood.
Shaun fell in love with the trumpet at the age of 10; a relationship he believes kept him off of the rough streets of Chicago’s south suburbs growing up.  He soon grew passionate about music and through practice and dedication, Shaun went on to play with numerous honor high school bands, including the Grammy All-Star Jazz band. From that point on, the doors of opportunity continued to open for him. In time, he found himself on stage with some of the best jazz musicians, including Miguel Xenon, Randy Brecker, Ernest Dawkins, Gerald Wilson and Dee Alexander. During his years in college, Shaun also toured the United States with world-renowned musicians Frank Foster, Jimmy Heath, Ed Thigpen, Benny Golson and Wynton Marsalis. Shaun studied with some of the best trumpet instructors in the Midwest, including Mark Ponzo, Art Davis, Pharez Whitted, Orbert Davis and Mark Olen, finishing up at University of Illinois at Chicago.  Shaun also had the pleasure of studying with Chicago saxphone jazz legends, Fred Anderson and Von Freeman.  Over the years, Shaun found his voice as a musician and has continued to gain experience in the field, including composition, arrangement and teaching.  
Shaun is making a name for himself as a talented Chicago musician. Having performed in the 2009 Made in Chicago: Poland Jazz Festival in Poznan, Poland and in Ernest Dawkin’s All Star Group at the Sant’anna Arresi Jazz Festival in Sardinia, Italy, he’s had opportunities to learn from the best. Shaun remains humble and spends his days as a husband, father, mentor and positive example to his community. Throughout the years, Shaun has taught music to high school and college students through various music programs in Chicagoland, including students at Chicago Public Schools and the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a well-known local musician and has played at the House of Blues, Andy’s Jazz Club, the Velvet Lounge and the Chicago Jazz Festival.
Shaun’s dedication to the craft continues to open doors for him and today he is performing, composing and recording with many bands in Chicago, one of them being The Xavier Breaker Coalition. He is currently working an arrangement of selections from Miles Davis’s Birth of the Cool album. For his next project, Shaun is using his extensive experience with performing, composing, arranging and music copying to produce The Shaunlive Project, a way for Shaun to share his life’s dedication to music through mentorship, workshops, recordings and live performances. It is an extension of his utmost desire to uplift people through his music.

Shaun Johnson Music Page