Born May 26, 1988

Jonah Parzen-Johnson is a baritone saxophonist living in Brooklyn, NY. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Jonah was surrounded and inspired by the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and South Side Jazz community. He moved to New York in 2006. Jonah completed his Bachelor’s in music performance at New York University in 2010. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in performance from the Manhattan School of Music.

As a saxophonist in New York, Jonah can be found performing solo works for the baritone saxophone as well as with the collective trio Reed’s Bass Drum. He is a regular member of the Afrobeat ensemble, Zongo Junction, and has appeared on recordings by artists including Those Darlins, Kenny Werner, and The Relatives.

Jonah approaches every performance focused on sharing something exciting and unique.

Press Quotes

“Baritonist Jonah Parzen-Johnson has a tone and phrasing somewhere between Giuffre, Chaloff, and Pepper Adams, with even a little Mulligan, only with a modern twist.” – Cadence Magazine

“Parzen-Johnson is a formidable voice on bari…the kind of post-bop that has kept the avant-garde alive while shifting the mainstream to the left.” – Boston Phoenix

“Baritone player Jonah Parzen-Johnson begins to carve out an original concept.” – TimeOut NY

Jonah’s set up:

  • H Couf Silver Plated Low Bb Baritone Saxophone,
  • Lebayle 9 hard rubber mouthpiece
  • Manning Custom Ligature

Visit Jonah’s Website