“Dean Johanesen plays acoustic guitar-driven fare with a sonic palette that calls on Spanish rumba-style instrumentals, speakeasy-era Americana, and swinging hot club jazz dosed in circus tent hues. In addition to original material, his sets are studded with perfectly executed covers of songs like Django Reinhardt’s Minor Swing.” Leilani Polk – Creative Loafing – Tampa
After being in bands for many years with rotating members and differentiating musical influences, Johanesen decided to pursue a solo career. In 2013 Dean released his first solo record A Time and A Place, a collection of songs that fit more of a personal storyteller type influence. In 2014 the solo release was accepted by Pandora for Dean’s own radio station which can be heard here – Dean on Pandora.
A recent passion for gypsy jazz music in the vein of Django Reinhardt has put Johanesen on a musical path with a focus on new stories of old times. Non fictional characters from the ’20s and ’30s, circus performers, the side show, Prohibition, the war of currents all placed in a backdrop of gypsy swing. Dean is currently in studio working on this record due out some time in 2015. Creative Loafing – Tampa – Feature Article
In 2014 Dean perfromed 275 dates including festival perfomances at SXSW in Autsin-TX, The Decatur Arts Fetsival in Decatur-GA, Smoky Mountain Songwriters Festival in Gatlinburg-TN, MS Songwriters Festival in Ocean Springs-MS. More festival dates and a consistent touring and perfroming scheule are in the works for 2015 along with the release of Johanesen’s new record and 2 live CD’s being recorded in January of 2015. Stay tuned…
