From Dave Brubeck to Spyro Gyra, they span a variety of jazz styles, including latin and funk-infused original tunes.

11 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Mainstream Jazz, JAZZ: Jazz-Funk



Details:
David Hillis and Allan Johnson have been playing music together for the past fifteen years. They first met in the fourth grade, performed in the same music program in junior high and high school, and graduated in 1988 from Western Heights High School in Oklahoma City. For the next few years they parted ways for college.
Allan attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma and received a Bachelorâs Degree in Vocal Music Education. During this time he ran on the track team, studied voice and percussion, and frequently performed as a soloist and as a member of various ensembles. David attended Oklahoma City University and four years later finished his Bachelorâs Degree in Piano Performance. David also performed often with the choral program at OCU while taking a number of accompanying jobs on the side. The two eventually met up again when Allan began teaching at their high school alma mater and David came to accompany Allanâs jazz and show choir groups. Within months Allan joined David in a band called Forerunner and they played worship music on the weekends for the next several years.
Since then Allan has begun his own professional development and consulting business called Paradigm Learning, a company that trains teachers, administrators, business owners, church staff, etc. how to be effective leaders by building and improving their relationship skills to enhance productivity within their organizations. He is in constant demand locally, nationally, and internationally as a motivational speaker and presenter. Allan was recently awarded the Grand Champion of âGimme The Mic Oklahomaâ, a singing competition sponsored by News 9 and Mathis Brothers Furniture of Oklahoma City. Allan won a free car and studio recording time among other prizes. Allan currently lives in Oklahoma City with his wife Jill and his children Lydia, Zoe, and Nathan.
For the past eight years David has taught vocal and instrumental music at Heritage Hall School in Oklahoma City while staying busy accompanying various honor groups and producing annual rehearsal CDs for the Central Oklahoma Choral Directorâs Association. He is also the choral and instrumental director at Graceway Baptist Church. David also lives in Oklahoma City with his wife Crystal and his children Ethan and Julia.
Both artists have produced previous music projects. In 1998 they released Regenerated together with Forerunner. Over the past nine years Allan has released Close to Thee, a collection of hymns, Worship, and All Year Long, a Christmas CD. He also wrote an original character-based collection of songs for the elementary classroom entitled MusicWorks!. In 2004 David released his only solo project, Joyful, Joyful, a collection of jazzy hymns and spirituals performed on the piano. Collaboration is the first jazz project for Allan and David to complete, but they have plans for many more to come. Stay tuned!