RICH JOHNSON · TRUMPET · ELECTRONICS · PEDAL STEEL
“He fashions music that is as striking as anything out there.”
(Nic Jones, All About Jazz)
Listen
“Rich Johnson’s debut album is a vastly eclectic and thrilling collection which never quite settles for one genre or another, yet manages to remain fluid and consistent all the way through. Johnson has created with Up The Turret Mil a pretty impressive and unique record and positioned himself alongside some of the most exciting contemporary jazz musicians around in the process."
SOUND Sources
Trumpet
The trumpet has been my steady companion since I was 9. What started with my father's old Conn Director has grown into a lifelong pursuit of breath, resonance, and sound. My work often starts with a single note, a line of melody, or just the sound of air through brass, then I follow wherever that sound may lead.
Pedal Steel Guitar
The pedal steel entered my life later on. I love its ability to bend, sustain, and glide between notes. This instrument holds its own space between melody, texture, and atmosphere.
This page follows my pedal steel practice through recordings, notes, and videos.
Ableton Live
Ableton Live is both an instrument and an environment in my music. It allows me to capture acoustic sounds and reshape them in real time, stretching decays, layering textures, looping fragments, and creating evolving sonic landscapes. Rather than simply a recording platform, Ableton is a creative partner and an essential piece of how I compose, improvise, and perform.
Effects & Sound Design
Much of my music exists between acoustic performance and electronic transformation. I explore how ordinary sounds—a trumpet note, a pedal steel harmonic, room resonance, or environmental noise—can be reimagined and shaped into something new.