Jonathan Johnston Trio Story and March Schedule

Story by Deborah Phair

I met Jonathan Johnston last summer during Old Hallowell Days. Johnston was on the sidewalk singing and Jonathan Truman was drumming on a pail or bucket. They sounded great, I had to stop and listen. Johnston has a great voice, and puts his soul into his music. Then I ran into him again last fall. We were in the same sociology class at UMA. I learned then that Johnston also plays with the Jazz ensemble at UMA.

Both Jonathans and Tim Sturtevant, the bass player, have known each other for years. They were all making music but in different genres. Eventually, they got together and did some recording at B & R Studios in Hallowell which is owned by Truman’s father, Brad Truman. Jon Truman’s father owns. It took a bit of practicing to get on the same page, but now they are and the rest will be history. Together these guys are amazing.

Johnston has been writing songs for years. He is often asked to sit in at various worship venues to play guitar. They did a tour with Grant Norsworthy (of The Paul Colman Trio and Sonic Flood). The Trio was Grant’s opening band and did a two week tour around Maine helping to get kids sponsored through Compassion International. Both Johnston and Truman are doing a bunch of stuff with Darrel Temple and Will Eifler (worship leaders from the Boston House of Prayer) on a worship band as they travel throughout New England with the International House of Prayer and the Justice House of Prayer.

Traveling to campuses (Yale, Harvard, Gordon, UMaine etc.), worshiping, and praying for the people there. They are now working on an album, although they have an EP out. I asked how far they were hoping to go with their music and Johnston answered by saying, “wherever God is happy taking us, we will pursue professionalism as it is in God’s will.”

Right now the guys are full time students. The Jonathans attend UMA, Tim is going to USM. Truman has been accepted at The Berklee College of Music in Boston. He may attend school there.

On stage, The Jonathan Johnston trio rock! Johnston belongs on stage. Anyone can tell that he is most comfortable there. He talks to the audience like old friends. He loves playing, you can see it in his movements, his expressions, and the words to his songs. Tim carries that bass around like it were as light as a feather. He’s right there every second to keep the band right on target! Truman sits behind that drum kit and makes the art of percussion and drums look much easier then, of course, it really is.

If it’s God’s will, these guys will go right to the top of the Christian Music Charts.

Check out their website to hear some of this music, and to see all the shows the guys have scheduled. Some gigs are right here in Hallowell and Augusta.

www.myspace.com/jonathanjohnstonmusic