Meet Leslie Johnson, Winner of the Say it with Your Strings Contest

Meet Leslie Johnson, Winner of the Say it with Your Strings Contest… brought to you by Jermaine Morgan

Name:
Leslie Johnson

Born In What City:
In Guatemala City

Currently Live In:
El Paso, TX

Where were you, and what was your reaction when you found out you had won the Say it with Your Strings Contest?
I was at home, and at first I just couldn’t believe it, so it was kind of surreal to me.

Current Band(s)/Artist(s) I Play With:
Christian rock band Renova, Sha’Vonne & The Vibe, singer Zaira and some others acts. Sometimes I’ll just go solo.

Former Bands/Artists I Have Played With:
Christian rock band Vertical, Alvaro Lopez & Resq Band, singer Julio Melgar, and some others.

CD’s I’ve Released/ Been a Part Of:
I’ve been part of many records as producer/bassist/composer but only have one R&B/Gospel album under my name called “Desesperado” (Desperate) and I’m about to release my first instrumental album called “Bass&Beyond”

What Made Me Decide to Play Bass:
I started playing piano at my local church when I was 15 and 3 years later the church’s bass player left, so we were 3 pianist and 2 drummers but no bass player, so I decided to give it a shot and turned out I fell in love with the bass.

Musical Influences:
Everyone… from jazz to gospel, from pianists to drummers, old school and new school. But if I had to choose 3 bass players I’d say Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller and Janek Gwizdala.

Favorite Musical Styles:
Neo-Soul, R&B, Gospel & Jazz

My Bass(es):
Fender Marcus Miller (4)
Modified Fender Jazz Bass (5)
Yamaha TRB 5II (5)

My Amps and Other Gear:
I currently have no amp, but love Aguilar and SWR. I have a pedal board with some Aguilar, TC Electronic, and Boss pedals as well as some other stuff.

Best Bass Advice You Ever Received:
LISTEN. LISTEN. LISTEN…. and LISTEN.

One Piece Of Advice For Other Bassists:
Everyone has the same 12 notes in their bass but that doesn’t mean you have to sound like them.

Favorite Quote or Life Philosophy:
Being a Christian, it has always been about putting God in the first place in your life. No matter what you do, where you go, how good or bad you are, your life and dreams are still in HIS hands.

Most Amazing Gig so Far:
In terms of music, it definitely was playing with Abraham Laboriel Sr.

Dream Gig:
I have too many of those… (Not enough space in here)… But, if it were a gospel dream then it would be Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin or Israel Houghton. If it were a jazz dream then it would be playing with Dave Weckl, Vinnie Colaiuta or Eddie Brown.

Most Embarrassing Moment on Stage:
When I was at music school I had to play a very complicated tune from Chick Corea, and even when I had studied that song a million times, I wasn’t able to hit a single “good” note in the entire song. And to be honest I think I still can’t do it. 🙁

Favorite Tip to Share on Traveling With Your Bass:
Your traveling setup should depend on the kind of gig. There are some gigs where it’s just not worth it to take your pedal board, your amp, and 4 basses, and there are some other gigs where you really need to take all that. So, if you’re not sure you’re going to use it, DONT TAKE IT WITH YOU.

What Would You Be Doing If You Weren’t A Musician:
I can’t imagine my life without music, but I think I’d be doing some Graphic Design. (That’s a whole other story 😀)

What You Can Look Forward to From Me This Year:
I have many projects in my mind right now, so I’m just trying to put them down in paper in order to make them come to life.

And as I said before, I’m about to release my first instrumental album (Bass&Beyond), and I just hope to be able to play more, record more, keep my self busy and just get better and better.

Find Me Online:
www.leslie-johnson.com
Twitter @ljohnsonmusic
Facebook @ljohnsonmusic