Renowned Jazz Pianist Richard D. Johnson Releases New Album Warm Embrace, a Celebration of Connection, Creativity, and Joy
Acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, and educator Richard D. Johnson new album Warm Embrace is out now! The album is the product of an extraordinary three-week residency in Shanghai, China, where Johnson and his ensemble performed two to three sets nightly, allowing themes and arrangements to evolve organically through deep collaboration, improvisation, and emotional connection.
A native of Pittsburgh—home to jazz greats like Art Blakey, Ray Brown, and Ahmad Jamal—Johnson has forged a remarkable international career. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Boston Conservatory, and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, he has toured and recorded with jazz legends including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Wynton Marsalis, and Stevie Wonder. As a United States Musical Ambassador, Johnson has brought jazz to audiences in 91 different countries throughout the world.
On Warm Embrace, Johnson leads a stellar ensemble featuring DownBeat Rising Star Vocalist Alyssa Allgood, Gregory Tardy on tenor saxophone, Jeremy Boettcher on acoustic bass, and Gregory Artry on drums. The group’s chemistry is palpable, honed over weeks of nightly performances that blurred the line between rehearsed material and spontaneous invention. The pianist says, “Music has the power to bring people together—just like a warm embrace. That’s what we aimed to capture on this album—something uplifting, spontaneous, and full of heart.”
The album opens with “East of the Sun,” a standard that Johnson reimagines with fresh harmonic movement developed from a vamp he experimented with in concert. The title track and Johnson original, “Warm Embrace,” was inspired by the groove-driven elegance of Ahmad Jamal’s “Poinciana” and brought to life through lush Fender Rhodes textures and Allgood’s warm, expressive voice. “Moonlight in Vermont,” a tune Johnson had long admired and recently revisited, felt destined for the session. “Dear Ruby” follows with its simple but poignant message of love, reinforcing the album’s emotional theme.
Original compositions like “Do You Hear Me” address the need to be truly seen and heard in a distracted world—something Boettcher’s grounded bass work helps amplify. “Don’t You Know I Care,” a heartfelt nod to Duke Ellington, is both tender and affirming. Johnson’s own “When I’m With You” speaks to the comfort and ease of being with a loved one, while “Stop, Drop, & Roll” playfully encourages listeners to pause and enjoy the moment, powered by Artry’s engaging rhythmic drive.
“Still We Dream” is a hopeful piece about perseverance and vision in times of stagnation with lyrics by Mike Ferro set to Thelonious Monk’s “Ugly Beauty,” and “1324 Broadway” channels the constant motion and chaos of a busy Baltimore street, vividly rendered through Tardy’s expressive saxophone lines. The album closes with “I Make Believe,” a reflective original composed when Johnson was younger, envisioning a future self looking back with wonder and wisdom.
Currently, Johnson serves as Associate Jazz Professor at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University and was recently named the 2025 Public Engagement Fellow for Johns Hopkins. He is the founder and CEO of AFAR Music, a Chicago-based jazz label, and continues to be an active force in global jazz education and performance.
Track Listing
1. East of the Sun (3:57)
2. Warm Embrace (4:45)
3. Moonlight in Vermont (4:27)
4. Dear Ruby (7:07)
5. Do You Hear Me (5:02)
6. Don’t You Know I Care (6:13)
7. When I’m With You (6:10)
8. Stop, Drop, & Roll (2:32)
9. Still We Dream (4:41)
10. 1324 Broadway (4:32)
11. I Make Believe (5:02)
Total Time – 54:28