Atlantic Jazz Nights 4

Atlantic Jazz Nights 4

Featuring Aubrey Johnson, Tomoko Omura & Jay Sawyer
With Florian Hoefner and Jim Vivian

April 25, 2025

Aubrey Johnson
Aubrey Johnson is a New York-based vocalist, composer, and educator. Her debut record, Unraveled, featuring her original music and arrangements and produced by Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny Group), was released on Outside In Music in 2020. Play Favorites, her duo album with the pianist Randy Ingram was released on Sunnyside Records in 2022. Among the 40+ albums Aubrey has appeared on as a sideperson are Bobby McFerrin’s Grammy-nominated release, VOCAbuLaries, Arturo O’Farrill’s Grammy Award-winning album Four Questions, and Lyle Mays’ Grammy Award-winning Eberhard. Aubrey holds faculty positions at Montclair State University and Queens College. Most recently, Aubrey completed an artistic residency in composition at the prestigious MacDowell Colony where she composed new music for her next album, coming late 2024.

Tomoko Omura
Tomoko Omura is a composer and violinist, born and raised in Shizuoka, Japan. She was named #1 Rising Star Violinist by Downbeat Magazine’s Critics Poll in 2021. Her fifth album, “Branches Vol. 2” (Outside In Music) was named Bandcamp’s “Best Jazz of 2021”. She has played at internationally renowned venues including the Village Vanguard, Lincoln Center, The Jazz Gallery, Jazz Standard, Smalls, Mezzrow, SF Jazz, Newport Jazz Festival, Blue Note, among others. 

In 2004, she relocated to the United States to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. She has studied with teachers, such as Hal Crook, Ed Tomassi, George Garzone, Jamey Haddad, Rob Thomas, Matt Glaser. After Berklee, she had been core members and toured with The Guy Mendilow Ensemble, the Contemporary Celtic band, RUNA and Carte Blanche. Omura now lives in Brooklyn, NY and is a New York Faculty member of Jazz House kids.

Jay Sawyer 
Born in Grand Rapids, MI, Jay Sawyer is one of the most in-demand rising star drummers in New York City. He has shared the stage with artists such as Freddy Cole, John McNeil, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stefon Harris, Donny McCaslin, Benito Gonzalez, and Shai Maestro among others. Jay is also a first call drummer for many up-and-coming musicians in New York including Itamar Borochov, Caroline Davis, Tomoko Omura, John Raymond and many more. He has toured extensively in the USA and Europe, including performances at the Montreal, Detroit and Chicago Jazz Festivals, Festival Eclats d’Email in Limoges, France and more. 

While attending Western Michigan University and the University of Illinois, respectively, Jay studied with some of the most well-respected jazz drummers including Billy Hart, Tim Froncek, Keith Hall and Dana Hall. Each nurtured his passion and skill for the art of jazz drums. As a result, Jay has become a passionate and gifted educator, both as a private lesson teacher as well as in a group setting.