MMHP Season 4 Ep:19--Mike Johnston: Northwoods Improvisers Fanfares & Organic Music

Michigan Music History Podcast -- MMHP989

If you haven't had a chance to listen to our Season 1 Episode 8 with Mike, covering record stores, free jazz, his radio show Destination Out, or his long time ensemble, Northwoods Improvisers, please start there. Then head right back here. After all, that was the first episode of the MMHP that catapulted us around the world with our Michigan Music History outlook and exposure. Mike alone was the first podcast we had that skyrocketed the listener number and remains in the top few to this day. We feel this episode just may eclipse that.

The long time listeners to WCMU know his voice. A Professor at CMU in music, as well as world renown bassist in the Northwoods Imporvisers, Johnston is a jazz writer, free music enthusiast, and a collector of all things organic and jazzy, from rock to world music and back. In this podcast, he gives background on the Improvisers 2023 release Fanfares, as well as gets to fill the gaps between his time early as a DJ, music with Faruq Z. Bey, and where the mighty new version of Northwoods is heading with the amazing saxophone front of Donovan Boxy and Dominic Bierenga, with the dual bass addition of Jack O'Brien (along with Johnston), violin from record label head Mike Khoury (Entropy Stereo) and Johnston's long time partner, drummer Nick Ashton.

Johnston also hangs around post-podcast for another 20 minutes of chat, discovery and story sharing, so please hang in there for the full show... Destination OUT of the ballpark with this episode!