Meet Johnny Summers | Vocalist | Trumpeter | Composer | Director of the Calgary Jazz Orchestra

We had the good fortune of connecting with Johnny Summers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Johnny, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
That’s a good question, I think the answer is pretty strait ahead, I simply didn’t have a choice if I was listening to myself.

I always wanted to be a performer. Sing, play an instrument, compose my own music, and arrange great music of others. Connect with an audience, make them laugh, cry, feel something, spread hope and Joy through music. That fire inside that had to burn. So the career came out of trying to figure out what to do with that.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
That’s a huge question. I’ll try to answer in a way that may help others plan.

My first steps were to study my skillset, university, tons of private training, continual lifelong study. A university degree in music was a good foundation, but only a small part of what I use daily now. I used to over analyze and probably try to teach myself too much, critically, early on. I realized that studying with people that I saw something in that I wanted to be able to add to my skillset was much more fun, and efficient, I continue to do this to this day. And when “teaching myself” putting it all together, being pragmatic, learning daily discipline, really allowing myself to approach things technically proper and allow for failure, until I started to reliably attain what I was after, and be able to replicate it. Removing the emotion of “I suck at this” inner voice, and remove self-esteem, or ego, whatever you want to call it from the equation.

I also studied the industry, learn from my mentors that came before me, Al Muirhead, Tommy Banks and many many more peers and legendary musicians. Noticing that they all had varying skill sets, and a very good handle on the business side of show business. I would think about every aspect that I needed to become successful artistically and fiscally, try to learn, adapt and integrate. Then once my music business started to grow, I would hire people that had dedicated their main profession to those aspects, like graphic design, administration, sound engineer, or anything that wasn’t my main focus.

Rinse and repeat I guess. I am in the process now of looking at the next number of years, and planing my personal development goals, my artistic output, and my business growth and looking back to learn at what I could do better now, then I used to before.

I can’t tell you how many times I felt like quitting, thinking I would “NEVER be a REAL player”. But I’d start the next day with a few hours on my trumpet, and an hour on my voice, and start back at writing, and learning / taking care of business. Failures, successes and all.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, I’d hope they were coming when the Calgary Jazz Orchestra had a show, because I am extremely proud of those amazing musicians, and how they move an audience! Trip to the mountains, so close, beautiful. In summer to hike, climb expore, or to ski in winter.

Calgary has so many great restaurants. Pulcinella is one of my favourite, true Neapolitan pizza house, and explore the Kensington area, possibly stroll along the river after.

The City has beautiful paths along the river and all over the city, so a rollerblade, bike, run, walk through Prince’s Island Park and explore from there.

I’d check jazzyyc.com for the current listings, see who is playing. Maybe head down to Alvin’s Jazz Club for great food and music, the Ironwood Stage for the same, and explore the Inglewood shops.

Maybe some more aggressive mountain bike riding? In Bowmont Park, huge areas to explore on a mountain bike, or out to Kananaskis for more aggressive terrain.

Motorcycle trips out to Bragg Creek for Lunch.

The Calgary tower has a great view of course, see the lay of the land, grab dinner at the rotating restaurant.

Friends of mine run a motorcycle sidecar touring company, and with my love of motorbikes, and cars, I think it’s a pretty cool experience. Rocky Mountain Sidecar.

If my friends had kids, the Calgary Zoo, Calaway Park, Canada Olympic Park, are all great places for them to explore.

A concert by the Calgary Philharmonic, or a show at Theatre Calgary would be awesome as well.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have MORE people to thank than I have the ability to mention, but I will try.

My music Mentors / Teachers / Friends / Supporters:

My Mom, Tommy Banks, Al Muirhead, Maria Schneider, Bobby Shew, Jon Faddis, Guido Basso, Jeremy Brown, John Hyde and the amazing music community in YYC, my incredible wife, and soooo many more

My Music Heroes:

Louis Armstrong, Harry Connick Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Clifford Brown, Oscar Peterson, Clark Terry, Frank Sinatra, All the bands from Motown, and again… sooooo many more.

My Peers:

Too many to mention. All the musicians of the Calgary Jazz Orchestra through it’s history, Kodi Hutchinson, Egor Ukoloff, Jon Day, Richard Harding, Gerry Hebert, Greg Robertson, Shane Statz, Jim Johnston, and… seriously more than I can even think of.

The people, everyone who listens to my music, live, recorded, and those that add it to their radio stations, playlists etc. I love connecting with you, and I’m humbled, inspired and motivated by your response to what I do.

Website: www.johnnysummers.com

Instagram: @mrjohnnysummers

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjohnnysummers/

Twitter: @johnnysummers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MrJohnnySummers

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC90akoO4WYD4agTGkBoGxTg

Other: Artistic Director for www.calgaryjazzorchestra.com Music Director and Vocalist for www.billboardcollective.com Trumpeter & Composer for www.continuumjazz.ca

Image Credits
Michael Stellmach