Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience

Shaun Johnson, an Emmy-winning singer/songwriter, seemed destined for a life of music from the very beginning.

“One of my earliest memories,” he says, “is of performing at state fair talent shows with my little sister. We’d sing Sonny and Cher songs, a cappella, when neither of us was quite tall enough to reach the microphone.” Originally from the small town of Saint Joseph, Iowa, Shaun attended Saint John’s University before settling in Sioux Falls, where he began his career with the nationally known vocal group, Tonic Sol-fa. This quartet has sold nearly two million albums independently and has been featured in Newsweek and on the Today Show. Shaun is still an active member.

In 2016, Shaun put together a group featuring some of the best instrumentalists and arrangers in the Midwest– guys who’ve toured with numerous luminaries, who are Music Educators of the Year and who are integral members of collegiate jazz faculties. His vision was to create a contemporary big band sound with a pop air, honoring legends like Frank Sinatra, with a nod to Michael Bubblé, while giving the music his own twist – performing songs ranging from the “Spiderman Theme” to increasingly popular original work.

“Shaun Johnson splits the difference between the dulcet urbanity of Michael Bublé and the campy yowl of the Stray Cats’ Brian Setzer.
He fronts a brassy octet he dubs Shaun Johnson’s Big Band Experience (he’s also the lead singer in Tonic Sol-fa).
A retro nerd of Rat Pack vintage, his performances go for the gut in rousing fashion.”           – Minneapolis Star Tribune

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