Jonah Parzen-Johnson

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Jonah Parzen-Johnson

| image = Jonah Parzen-Johnson in Cambridge, MA.jpg

| caption =

| image_size =

| origin = Chicago, Illinois

| instrument = Baritone Saxophone, Analog Synthesizer, Elektron Digitakt

| genre = Experimental Music, Jazz

| occupation =

| years_active =

| label = We Jazz, Clean Feed Records, Primary Records

| associated_acts = Zongo Junction

| website = {{URL|http://jonahpj.com/}}

}}

Jonah Parzen-Johnson is a baritone saxophonist based in Brooklyn, New York.{{cite web|title=Primary Records|url=http://primaryrecords.org/jonah-parzen-johnson/|accessdate=2012-09-18}} He was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up on Chicago's South Side. He completed a Bachelor of Music in jazz studies at New York University in 2010,{{cite web|title=Jonah Parzen-Johnson|url=http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/music/students/bios/parzen-johnson|publisher=NYU Steinhardt|accessdate=2012-09-18|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214234319/http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/music/students/bios/parzen-johnson|archivedate=2013-12-14}} and a Master of Music in jazz saxophone at Manhattan School of Music in 2012.{{cite web|title=Jazz Builds the Future|url=http://www.jazzinchicago.org/future/|publisher=Jazz Institute of Chicago|accessdate=2013-12-11}}{{Dead link|date=January 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In Chicago, Parzen-Johnson studied under Mwata Bowden.{{cite web|last=Stewart|first=Luke|title=Jonah Parzen-Johnson brings soul-searching solo sax to the Dunes|url=http://capitalbop.com/2012/06/06/news-jonah-parzen-johnson-brings-soul-searching-solo-sax-to-the-dunes/|publisher=Capital Bop|accessdate=2012-09-18|archive-date=2012-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610222558/http://www.capitalbop.com/2012/06/06/news-jonah-parzen-johnson-brings-soul-searching-solo-sax-to-the-dunes/|url-status=dead}}

Jonah Parzen-Johnson performs regularly as a solo saxophonist and his music for solo baritone saxophone and analog synthesizer, balances simple melodic passages with extended techniques including circular breathing, multiphonics, and overtones.{{cite web|last=Reed|first=Bryan|title=On The Beach|date=5 June 2012 |url=http://www.mountainx.com/article/43351/On-the-beach|publisher=Mountain Xpress|accessdate=2012-09-18}} Parzen-Johnson's solo music explores his interest in folk music{{cite web|last=Sumner|first=Dave|title=Never Mind the Category: Jonah Parzen-Johnson "Michiana"|url=http://www.emusic.com/17dots/2012/09/07/never-mind-the-category-jonah-parzen-johnson-michiana/|publisher=Emusic|accessdate=2012-09-18}} and avant-jazz.{{cite web|title=Killer Bob + Gym, Deer + Jonah Parzen-Johnson + The Due Dilligence|url=http://www.timeout.com/newyork/music/killer-bob-gym-deer-jonah-parzen-johnson-the-due-dilligence-death-by-audio-june-3-2012|publisher=TimeOut New York|accessdate=2012-09-18|archive-date=2016-03-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305014231/http://www.timeout.com/newyork/music/killer-bob-gym-deer-jonah-parzen-johnson-the-due-dilligence-death-by-audio-june-3-2012|url-status=dead}}

Since 2013, Parzen-Johnson has performed with an analog synthesizer built around a Moog Synthesizer VCO, and Dave Smith Instruments Mopho Module.{{cite web|title=Jonah Parzen-Johnson "Look Like You're Not Looking"| date=4 October 2013 |url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=45482#.Um01sWRDuQQ/|accessdate=2013-10-27}} His self-assembled synthesizer is built to follow the volume of his saxophone and a set of pedals he plays with his feet.{{cite web|title=AMN Interviews: Jonah Parzen-Johnson|date=26 September 2013|url=http://avantmusicnews.com/2013/09/26/amn-interviews-jonah-parzen-johnson/|accessdate=2013-10-27}} In June 2015, Parzen-Johnson released his second solo album featuring saxophone & his custom synthesizer, and spent two months touring 34 US cities in support of the record. In an exercise to connect with people, and create empathy in all of the cities he visited, Parzen-Johnson collected three reasons to live in each city, and in November 2015 he released them as a paperback book called Three Reasons to Live Here.{{cite web|title=Jonah Parzen-Johnson Releases Paperback About National Tour|url=http://www.axs.com/jonah-parzen-johnson-releases-paperback-about-national-tour-68841|accessdate=2015-11-01}}

In March 2024, Parzen-Johnson released his 7th solo album, "You're Never Really Alone", on We Jazz Records.{{cite web|title=Jonah Parzen-Johnson: You're Never Really Alone|date=3 April 2024 |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/youre-never-really-alone-jonah-parzen-johnson-we-jazz-records|accessdate=2024-08-28}} Unlike his previous solo albums, this release was fully acoustic, featuring just baritone saxophone and flute with extended techniques like circular breathing and multi-phonics.{{cite web|title=JONAH PARZEN-JONSON You're Never Really Alone|url=https://salt-peanuts.eu/record/jonah-parzen-jonson/|accessdate=2024-08-28}}