Chicago, IL (Top40 Charts/ James Johnston Official Website) You could call
James Johnston a band leader, a songwriter and musical director, but none of these titles would really fit. For as long as he has played music, he has been fascinated by collaboration. Johnston has a knack for bringing collaborators from diverse musical backgrounds together for something truly special.
As the leader of Bumpus, he helped singer-songwriter Brent Puls, Andy Rosenstein (JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound), Adam Kaltenhauser (Gold Motel) and, most notably, Warner Bros. recording artist Rachael Yamagata cut their teeth in a band that was known for its celebratory Chicago residencies, long regional tours and three hour sets.
The next act for Johnston is Dance Floor Plans. Whereas Bumpus was a collective of people who loved soul music, but didn't know how to play music, Dance Floor plans is made up of some serious musicians: a Berklee School grad on bass (Kyle Meyers), DePaul Music School grads (Jeff Livorsi, Corbin Andrick and Ethan Bulak, Zack Marks) on horns and drums, multi-instrumentalist Andy Rosenstein and the Southside soul of vocalists Tina Howell and Johnston leading the way.
Dance Floor Plans will make its live debut at Chicago's Lincoln Hall on Sunday, August 21st. The band will be direct support for R&B diva Nikka Costa. DJRC rounds out the bill, spinning classic soul, funk and hip hop.
