Ronell Johnson

Biography

Ronell Johnson is a New Orleans–born trombonist, tubist and vocalist best known for his work with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. A native of the city’s Gentilly neighborhood, he grew up in a highly musical family and began performing in public around the age of six, absorbing the brass band and traditional jazz sounds that surround everyday life in New Orleans.[1] He came up through local school music programs and community ensembles, developing into a versatile low‑brass player equally at home in traditional jazz, funk, and brass band settings, and eventually joined the storied Preservation Hall Jazz Band, carrying forward the city’s early jazz traditions for contemporary audiences worldwide.[1]

As a bandleader and recording artist, Johnson has released projects under his own name that spotlight his warm trombone sound, agile tuba work, and soulful, often humorous vocals, notably the album "That Gentilly Swing" (2017), which nods to his neighborhood roots and blends classic New Orleans swing with modern arrangements.[3][4] His playing emphasizes strong melodic phrasing, a deep groove, and a vocal approach to improvisation that reflects the influence of both classic jazz trombonists and the call‑and‑response character of New Orleans street music.[1][2] Through touring internationally with Preservation Hall and collaborating with local musicians at home, he has become part of the continuing lineage of New Orleans jazz ambassadors, helping to keep traditional repertoire vibrant while introducing it to new listeners across generations.[1][2]

Johnson’s legacy so far is that of a tradition bearer who also personalizes the idiom with his own compositional voice and ensemble concepts. By featuring piano, voice, and flexible rhythm section textures on his recordings, he presents New Orleans jazz not as a museum piece but as a living, adaptive style that can encompass ballads, showtunes, and dance‑driven swing alike.[3][4] His work with Preservation Hall places him in a direct line with some of the city’s most respected elders, and his growing discography under his own name documents a modern Gentilly‑raised musician contributing new stories and sounds to the city’s long jazz narrative.[1][4]

Fun Facts

• Johnson began performing in New Orleans when he was about six years old, giving him decades of stage experience while still relatively young in his career.[1]
• He plays both trombone and tuba professionally, an uncommon double that allows him to cover melodic and bass roles within New Orleans ensembles.[1][2]
• His album "That Gentilly Swing" is a direct homage to the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans where he grew up, tying his recorded work to his home community.[3][4]
• The closing track of "That Gentilly Swing" is a jazz ballad version of the showtune "Pure Imagination," arranged as an intimate duo featuring his wife, pianist Rachel Johnson.[3]

Musical Connections

Key Collaborators

• Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Core trombone/tuba player and vocalist in the ensemble, touring and recording as part of the group that preserves and promotes traditional New Orleans jazz. (Live performances and recordings as a member of Preservation Hall Jazz Band (individual album credits vary).) [2000s–present (approximate based on career coverage)]
• Rachel Johnson - Pianist and musical partner who performs with him in duo settings. (Featured with him on the track "Pure Imagination," which closes his 2017 album "That Gentilly Swing" as a piano–trombone duo.) [2010s]

External Links

• Spotify