Over a decade later, the Kris Johnson Group returns to the Carr Center awaiting their EP release. 

Eleven years ago, the Kris Johnson Group marked their debut at the Carr Center with their album “Odd Expressions.” On April 30, at 3 p.m., Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings invites the group to return to the Carr Center awaiting their new EP “Fruition.”  

“Our upcoming concert promises to be a memorable experience featuring an outstanding lineup of talented musicians who have been an integral part of my career for the last 5-20 years,” Kris Johnson said.   

Johnson has become a quintessential figure in the Detroit music scene as a trumpeter, composer, arranger, film scorer and educator. He has played and arranged for the Count Basie Orchestra, directed the University of Utah Jazz Studies program, composed several musicals, including "Jim Crow's Tears" and "Hastings Street: The Musical" and scored films like the Emmy-nominated web series "King Ester."  

Johnson currently serves as the director of Michigan State University’s Community Music School in Detroit.   

In 2012, he collected some of Detroit’s notable musicians to form the Kris Johnson Group. Drawing influence from the city’s jazz, gospel, techno and hip-hop scenes, the group shaped a distinct voice for themselves, as prominent in their debut album as it is in their upcoming EP.  

The group includes saxophonist Marcus Elliot, pianist and keyboardist Jon Dixon, bassist Jonathan Muri-Cotton, drummer Nate Win, and percussionist Lauren Johnson. They will present their original compositions from “Fruition.”    

The performance takes place in the Carr Center’s newly developed performance studio, which opened its doors in October 2022. The 2,500-square-foot space was designed to be an epicenter for art and community to come together in the heart of Detroit.   

“The Carr Center's newly built performance studio is a stunning, intimate venue that sets the perfect stage for our performance,” said Johnson. “We're looking forward to creating a welcoming atmosphere and sharing our music with you.”  

The performance was developed as part of Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings’ Structurally Sound series, a concert series dedicated to drawing the bridge between high-quality musicianship and Detroit’s notable architecture. Artists are challenged to curate concerts directly inspired by the city they call home.   

“Encouraging musicians to react to and draw inspiration from local architecture has created a product that is uniquely Detroit,” said DCWS President Maury Okun. “These concerts become evidence of the unmatched chemistry between our city and its artists.”?  

The 2022-23 Structurally Sound series is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Tickets to the concert are available at https://detroitchamberwinds.org/performance/structurally-sound-at-the-carr-centers-new-performance-studio/