Fan favorite percussionist James Johnson III returns for City of Asylum’s Thursday Night Jazz series to put on the first ever live performance of Insomnia (2010), an album produced by James featuring vocalist Carolyn Perteete.

The music of Insomnia delivers original songs woven with understated gravity and emotional depth delivered honestly, thoughtfully and effortlessly by Carolyn. “The music and lyrics were written from a highly personal perspective,” says Carolyn, who is looking forward to revisiting the music of Insomnia and welcomes the opportunity to take the music in new directions. This live performance of Insomnia guarantees to be an unforgettable experience, enhanced by James Johnson’s original string arrangements performed by members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. 

Insomnia is available to stream on iTunes and Spotify.

Featured Musicians:

James Johnson III: drums

Carolyn Perteete: vocals

Jennifer Orchard: violin

Laura Motchalov: violin

Sean Juhl: viola

Bronwyn Banerdt: cello

Denzel Chismar-Oliver: bass

Jerome Kirkland: piano

John Shannon: guitar

George Heid III: waterphone, auxiliary percussion

Lorenze Jefferson: conductor

About the Artist:

James Johnson III began playing the drums at the age of five in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Johnson attended CAPA, Pittsburgh’s high school for the creative and performing arts. It was here he came under the mentorship of the drummer Roger Humphries. Upon graduating high school, James was invited to tour with jazz legend Ahmad Jamal. With Ahmad, James performed all over the world, appearing in major jazz venues such as Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. As a member of the Ahmad Jamal trio, James has also appeared at major festivals such as the Cully jazz festival in Switzerland, the North Sea jazz festival in South Africa, and the Dublin jazz festival. James has also performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Geroge Coleman, James Moody, Sean Jones, Monty Alexander, Mulgrew Miller, Russell Ferrante, Bob Mintzer, Kenny Werner and Hubert Laws. In addition to his performance schedule, James currently serves on the music faculty at the Afro American Music Institute, University of Pittsburgh, and Chatham University. His second solo album Between was released in 2019.

About Your Visit: 

The in-house restaurant Cucina Alfabeto is open for dinner from 5-9pm. Please visit Open Table or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.