According to the San Francisco Foundation, the award is presented to an under-recognized, mature artist who has made a significant and ongoing contribution in the Bay Area.

Johns’ contributions are certainly significant: he serves the community as an educator, scholar, performer, and composer who celebrates and promotes Latin music and believes that it has the power to inform and nurture.

John is a faculty member of the Stanford Jazz Workshop and contributes frequently to the international music press. He has played on hundreds of recordings across multiple genres and conducts worldwide clinics on a variety of subjects, including polyrhythms from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Brazil.