The Sam Johnson Big Band were formed as an amalgamation of 18 students and staff from The University of York in October 2013, as part of the ‘Chrono-suite’ project; a programmatic Big-Band suite. At this time, the group were known as The Chrono-suite Big Band, later named after its bandleader as performance opportunities grew outside of the suite, and guest soloists began to appear with the ensemble. Having graduated from studying Music at the University last year, Sam Johnson has been performing, writing and arranging music since 2004. He is currently collaborating with L.I.P.A and LCoM students in both live performances and studio work, and performing alongside fellow York Music Graduates in a number of different projects ranging from funk and fusion through to singer-songwriter and musical theatre work. The band showcases some of the best York-based talent in performance and composition, performing pieces not only written by Sam, but also by other band members for many different types of events around York and the surrounding areas.