• Genre :: Jazz
• Listen :: Music is the Magic
• View :: Band Website | Kelley Johnson's Blog | John Wikan's Blog
• download :: HiRes Image

The Kelley Johnson Quartet draws from the Great American Songbook and modern jazz repertoire, reworking standards in a creative and energetic way, to feature the solo work of each member of the band. The quartet has recorded three albums in New York City, including Live at Birdland and the critically acclaimed Music is the Magic. They have performed throughout the world, including a U.S. State Department sponsored tour to Russia and Central Asia
in 2004.

Kelley Johnson (vocals) graduated magna cum laude from the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and has been performing and teaching ever since. Inspired by players like Manty Ellis, Bryan Lynch and Melvin Rhyne, Johnson began her career in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and later relocated to Seattle, Washington and studied with jazz vocal legend Mark Murphy. The winner of the 2002 International Jazzconnect Vocal Jazz Competition, Johnson has also been named "Best Northwest Jazz Vocalist" by Earshot Jazz magazine. She is currently working on her fourth album while teaching at both Cornish College of the Arts and Musicworks Northwest.

John Hansen (piano) grew up in Seattle and developed his craft on the bandstand with local luminaries including Chuck Metclaf, Jan Stentx and Julian Priester. A committed educator, Hansen mentored numerous young musicians over the years and continues to teach in the Seattle area. He has played and recorded with some of the leading ensembles on the Northwest jazz scene including the Jay Thomas Quartet, the Jim Knapp Orchestra and The Marriott Brothers. Hansen has also performed at renowned clubs and performing arts centers across the country including Birdland, The Jazz Standard, Blues Alley, Tula’s and the Kennedy Center. He has also performed at international festivals in France, Japan, Korea, Russia and many others.

Nathan Peck (bass) decided to become a bassist at age 14 and was playing professionally with his family just one year later. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the early part of his career, he performed regularly with musicians such as Roger Humphries, Joe Harris and Jimmy Ponder. Peck also had the great fortune to play with visiting jazz greats including James Moody, Stanley Turrentine and Paquito D'Rivera. After an extensive tour with Maynard Ferguson and His Big Bop Nouveau Band, Peck relocated to New York City, where he has had the privilege to play with artists such as Bonnie Tyler, Victor Jones and Melton Mustafa. He is currently a full-time musician, composer and bandleader and can be seen performing all over New York City.

Jon Wikan (drums) started playing drums as a high school student in Seattle, Washington. He went on to attend Central Washington University but took time off to tour with the legendary Mills Brothers and Herb Jeffries and later with Ernestine Anderson. During his travels he studied with drum masters such as Chico Hamilton, Carl Allen and Jeff Hamilton. He later returned to Seattle and worked with multi-horn man Jay Thomas, Bill Ramsay and composer James Knapp. Wikan recently moved to New York and has since played with Geoff Keezer, Mark Murphy and GRAMMY® award winning New York Voices, among others. He currently teaches at The New School University while composing music for various large and small groups.