Ron Johnston
Biography
RON JOHNSTON (bassist) was born July 1, 1953 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As a child of five, he began classical training on piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, moving on to the double bass as his main instrument when he was ten years old, and continuing his studies at the Conservatory ultimately achieving Grade 8 First Class Honours. This led to his being selected to perform at a World Youth Orchestra Festival in Switzerland in 1969 when he was just 16.
Johnston’s first love has always been Jazz, and he has been performing and recording professionally at home and abroad with a number of different groups since 1971. He has toured with well-known singers including Jodie Drake and Ada Lee, and backed up leading international jazz musicians including Maxine Sullivan, Vic Dickenson, Doc Cheatham, Yve Evans, and Marcus Belgrave.
He has been featured in TV shows and series with Peter Appleyard and Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines. He has also appeared frequently as a musician extra in television movies and feature films including being a main band member in the Academy Award-winning Chicago.
Johnston was one of the original members of Toronto’s renowned hard bop band Kollage. Inspired by the late Ray Brown, his familiar driving bass sound was heard in on all of the Band’s club dates, concerts, and recordings can be heard on the band’s many recordings, club dates and concerts for first nine years of the band’s existence.
As an educator, Ron Johnston is a music teacher with the York Region District School Board, and as one of Toronto’s most sought-after bassists, continues to be seen, and heard, at jazz clubs and festivals in Toronto and throughout North America.
Awards:
2004 – Member of Kollage. co-winner of the National Jazz Award as “Acoustic Group of the Year”.
2005 – Participant in the Gemini Award-winning CBC Special Makin’ Noise for Salome, honored for “Best Performance in a Variety Program”
