John Fournier
John is a saxophonist, pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, and educator.
As a performing sideman, some of the artists he has had the honor of working with include Bernadette Peters, Jerry Butler, Raul Midon, Robbie Fulks, Jon Langford, Prince, The Bee Gees, Bobby Rydell, Luis Enrique, Bob Newhart, The Mighty Blue Kings, and Leslie Gore.
He co-leads the Chicago Soul Jazz Collective and is an active participant in the Chicago jazz and blues scene as a saxophonist and arranger. As a songwriter, John co-wrote a song on Raul Midon’s debut recording State of Mind (Manhattan Records) produced by Arif Mardin. His work in theater has also earned him a Joseph Jefferson Award for original music and lyrics. He has created original works for Second City Theatricals, 500 Clown, Steppenwolf, Redmoon Theater, Red Tape Theater, The Kennedy Center, P.S. 122 and has contributed original songs for The Writers’ Theater. He also contributed songs along with Melissa Etheridge on a theater piece entitled WEEDS.
As a solo recording artist, he has recorded two critically acclaimed albums for the LunaDisc Label, Breakfast at Epiphany's, and Drinking in Airports. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the University of Miami, with emphasis on composition, education, and jazz performance. John is a music teacher at Lincoln Elementary School in Brookfield and is the music director for the Wire School of Music and Technology.