A fixture of New Orleans music for more than four decades, acclaimed saxophonist, vocalist, and producer Clarence Johnson III will take the stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Jazz & Blues Market on Friday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m., offering audiences a performance rooted in the city’s deepest musical traditions.

Johnson’s sound reflects the full spectrum of New Orleans influence—from the rhythms and chants of Congo Square and the Mardi Gras Indians to traditional jazz, brass band, R&B, and funk. That lineage, combined with his technical mastery and improvisational voice, has made him one of the city’s most respected and versatile musicians.

Over the course of his career, Johnson has built an expansive résumé as both a performer and collaborator. His work spans stage and screen, including an appearance alongside Jamie Foxx in Ray and a PBS special with Allen Toussaint. He has also shared the stage with a wide range of artists, from Aretha Franklin and The Temptations to Tori Amos, John Scofield, Dr. John, and The Neville Brothers.

Currently performing with the The Headhunters, Clarence Johnson continues to evolve his sound while staying grounded in the traditions that shaped him. His original work, including the album Watch Him Work, blends inspirational jazz with a contemporary fusion edge, highlighting both his virtuosity and his commitment to musical storytelling.

More than a performance, Johnson’s upcoming appearance offers a living connection to the cultural continuum of New Orleans music—past, present, and future—carried through an artist who has spent a lifetime refining his craft.