A Brooklyn singer in the tradition of the 1950's, evoking such greats as June Christy and Peggy Lee with a bit of Southern grit thrown in the mix. Daughter of renowned bass player, Marc Johnson (Bill Evans, Stan Getz), she proves the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Francesca Esmé (Johnson) was born into music; her father (bassist Marc Johnson) played in Bill Evans' last trio as well as with Stan Getz, John Abercrombie, Eliane Elias, and many others. Francesca’s first words were, literally, "Bill Evans". Her mother (Stephanie Jutt) is a classical flutist and founder of the Wisconsin-based chamber music festival Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society. Francesca grew up absorbing the music that would sculpt her future.
Occasionally fronting Texas band Snarky Puppy on their tour stops, or singing with Chicago's Tom Waits tribute band, Big Time, Francesca shows what she does best, pop music in a jazz idiom. Take the time to listen to Johnson’s own spin on the work of Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones, and great Motown classics and you’ll be able to see for yourself, she has a musical sense all her own.
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