Aubrey Johnson, Carolyn Leonhart & Sofia Rei

Teaches at New York Jazz Academy

Aubrey Johnson
Aubrey Johnson is a New York-based vocalist/composer whose style is rooted in jazz, Brazilian, and creative contemporary music, with and without words. Also on the voice faculty of Berklee College of Music, Aubrey’s voice can be heard on Bobby McFerrin’s 2010 release “VoCAbuLaries” and on Ron DiSalvio’s “Essence of Green,” featuring world-renowned jazz drummer, Jimmy Cobb. Aubrey has performed with Lyle Mays (of the Pat Metheny Group), Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny Group), Mark Walker (Paquito D’Rivera, Oregon), Paul McCandless (Oregon), and Jimmy Cobb, as well as many other New York and Boston-based bands. Prior to arriving in New York a year ago, she lived in Boston for four years, studying at the New England Conservatory and later teaching at both Berklee College of Music and directing a vocal jazz group at the New England Conservatory. 

She has been called a “formidable vocalist” and “adept improviser” by the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald describes her style, “[Aubrey's] wordless vocals add a dash of exotica and bring to Flora Purim to mind.” Aubrey has been performing regularly around New York with her newly formed sextet, which features an unusual lineup of violin, woodwinds (bass clarinet/saxophones/flute), piano, bass, and drums. The group will be releasing their debut album (featuring Aubrey’s compositions and arrangements on Greg Osby’s independent record label, Inner Circle Music next year. 

During her studies at Western Michigan (BM, jazz performance) and the New England Conservatory (MM, jazz performance), she was awarded on 3 occasions by DownBeat Magazine, twice with Outstanding Performance awards (2007, 2010) and as Best Jazz Vocalist (2008). She received scholarships to attend both universities and upon completing her Masters degree at NEC, Aubrey was awarded the Gunther Schuller medal for “making an extraordinary contribution to the school.” 

Carolyn Leonhart 
Carolyn Leonhart The daughter of famed bassist Jay Leonhart, Carolyn Leonhart has a soulful voice that has been hailed by critics throughout the world. One of the winners of the Thelonious Monk Vocal Jazz Competition, she is one of the most accomplished and versatile singers of her generation. Carolyn successfully straddles the ever-changing worlds of jazz and pop, interweaving both into many of her projects. She is known for her fourteen-year tenure as lead back-up vocalist with Steely Dan, as well as her work with Lyn Leon and Wax Poetic. She sings jazz classics with authenticity, and navigates through complex music with ease. Critics have written “Leonhart may be the one to give female vocalists a good name again.” — John Frederick Moore, Jazziz Magazine, July 2005 and Jazziz Magazine featured Carolyn on the cover of its “Women In Jazz” issue (2003) presenting even more evidence that Carolyn Leonhart stands out in the crowded field of jazz vocalists. 

Carolyn’s three solo CDs (including “If Dreams Come True,” a collaboration with tenor saxophonist and husband Wayne Escoffery) have received wide critical acclaim, and she will release her her next collaborative CD with Wayne Escoffery later this year. Carolyn has performed at clubs, theatres and festivals all over the world, and appears regularly at Smoke Jazz Club and The Jazz Standard in NYC. Carolyn teaches privately from her home studio in New York City, focusing on aspects ranging from vocal technique and musicianship skills to song study and improvisation. 
Since 2006, Carolyn has also been teaching part-time at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. At Berklee, Carolyn teaches private students as well as a variety of performance labs ranging from jazz to R & B and Background Vocals. She has given clinics and master classes at high schools and colleges throughout the US and Europe. Carolyn has also been a Voice Consultant on MSNBC and has appeared as a panelist at “GRAMMY Career Day” for New York City High School Students.

Sofia Rei 
Vocalist Sofia Rei mixes and elegantly fuses South American rhythms with a jazz aesthetic in a unique and extremely seductive way. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, she has been hailed by All About Jazz as “one of the most versatile and in-demand singers on the New York music scene”. Sofia has recorded, performed and collaborated with renowned musicians and groups such as Folklore Urbano, Geoffrey Keezer, John Scofield, Lionel Loueke, Alcatraz, Bob Moses, Aquiles Baez, Hector Martignon, Samuel Torres Group, and Pablo Aslan’s Avantango. She toured Europe with the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra and premiered with the group Cerulean Skies, a piece commissioned by the New Crowned Hope Festival in Vienna. She was recently featured with vocal giant Bobby McFerrin in Instant Opera at Carnegie Hall. Sofia is an active vocalist, composer and arranger. Her debut album Ojala has received great critical acclaim and has been chosen a top 10 album of 2006 by the Jazz Journalists Association. In Danilo Perez words: “She knows how to combine the best of her Argentine roots with the skills and passion necessary to make many contributions to our music community”. 

Sofia has toured Europe, Asia, North and South America singing at renowned international festivals and venues such as the Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, the Blue Note, the Festival de Jazz de Barcelona (Spain), the Chicago World Music Festival, the Festival Internacional Jazz en Lima (Peru), the Festival Iberoamericano de las Artes (Puerto Rico), Cite de la Musique (Paris, France), the IAJE Conference 2008 (Toronto, Canada), and the Lapataia Jazz and World Music festival (Uruguay). Her second album as a leader, “Sube Azul” was released in the Summer of ’09 by the prestigious label World Village (Harmonia Mundi). Sofia holds a Masters Degree from the New England Conservatory, and she is currently also on the voice faculty of New England Conservatory and Berklee College of Music.