Permanent Moving Parts (2021) features a quartet of Lina Allemano (trumpet), Michael Davidson (vibes), Jake Oelrichs (drums) and Pete Johnston (bass). Building on 2020's False Ghosts, Minor Fears and Bog Standards, this record features more tunes that blur the lines between composition and improvisation in the tradition of the Jimmy Giuffre 3, Carla Bley, and Ornette Coleman, this time with some 1980s-era Rush mixed in to keep it real.

"The line-up of Toronto-based bassist Pete Johnston's See Through 4 typically changes from record to record, but this one's a keeper…they swing with such a light touch you might almost miss their covertly proggy digressions." - Bill Meyer, Wire (May 2021)

"Music with a free spirit, a distinct direction and full of surprising twists. They go from counterpoint to swing and everything comes out in a natural flow. Contemporary 'jazz' at its best!" - Geert Ryssen, Full Circle Music

"What Permanent Moving Parts has in common with Tristano and Dolphy, as it does with all the best jazz, is freshness, inventiveness and experimentalism. The band is also a listening band, in which the individual musicians are acutely attentive and responsive to each other... There a is a lot to be enjoyed here, and a lot of fun to be had doing so." Chris May, All About Jazz

See Through 4 - “Underground Over Night”

Live at the Emmett Ray in Toronto.

Lina Allemano - Trumpet

Michael Davidson - Vibraphone

Jake Oelrichs - Drums

Pete Johnston - Bass

False Ghosts, Minor Fears (2020) features a quartet of Marilyn Lerner (piano), Karen Ng (saxophone), Nick Fraser (drums) andPete Johnston (bass). This band draws equally on the jazz and progressive rock traditions, with intricate compositions knit together with ensemble improvisations.

“The 4 looks and sounds like an acoustic jazz combo alto sax, piano, double bass, drums. But this music could fairly be called jazz-rock, and rock of a very particular stripe… His compositions sound nothing like prog rock now, but the way his music sequences dissimilar segments will make sense to anyone who spent some time listening to side long Yes and Genesis epics.” Bill Meyer, Dusted

"See Through 4 offer a further extension of Lennie Tristan's already abstracted linear vision, but composer Pete Johnston has playful manner all his own." Stuart Broomer, Whole Note

Bog Standards (2020) features a quartet of Rebecca Hennessy (trumpet), Karen Ng (saxophone), Jake Oelrichs (drums) and Pete Johnston (bass). This band plays re-imaginings of tunes originally recorded by See Through Trio. New jazz standards, Hants County, Nova Scotia-style.

See Through 5 is a chamber-prog group that performs intricate, polyrhythmic compositions by bassist Pete Johnston. Featuring Tania Gill (piano), Karen Ng (saxophone and clarinet), Jake Oelrichs (drums), and Mike Smith (synth), See Through 5's music features swaths of electronic colour draped on top of acoustic instruments, wrapped in a minimalism-informed take on the rhythms of contemporary electronic dance music and the melodies of 1970s progressive rock.

"Perhaps the biggest compliment that could be paid to Johnston and company is that See Through 5 sound pretty much unlike anything else out there at the moment". Ron Schepper, textrua.org

See Through Trio is composed of Tania Gill (piano), Karen Ng (saxophone), and Pete Johnston (bass). Based in Toronto, the members of the trio share an interest in collective improvisation and collaborative composition. See Through Trio's music encompass a diverse range of influences, from the 1960s jazz avant-garde of Carla Bley and Ornette Coleman to psychedelic British folk. These distinct sounds are connected by the playful deconstructionist spirit of jazz. See Through Trio performs frequently in Toronto, and has toured the East and West coasts of Canada. Our debut CD Our Own Devices was released in June 2007; Lines and Spaces followed in 2009, Near Northern Static in 2012, and Parallel Lights, was released in 2014.

"Comprising three of Toronto's most skilled and downright interesting players, See Through Trio have delved deep into their own particular idiom ... fresh intrigue at each turn." at Nick Storring, Musicworks

See Through Two iS a duo project with the great bassist and composer Rob Clutton. Rob has been a mentor for me for many years, so it's a real privilege to get to play music with him. Slow Bend is our debut recording, and it features nine compositions by Pete Johnston that afford plenty of space for improvisation and general low end theorizing. Although it's mostly music for two basses, there are a few tunes thrown in that feature Rob on other instruments he plays.

”Some clever dulling on the basses makes this a most unusual and unique piece of contemporary jazz... a quiet symphony for the brain." Marty Delia, The Jazz Music Blog

Aurochs is: Ali Berkok (piano/accordion), Pete Johnston (string bass), Jake Oelrichs (percussion) and Mike Smith (electronics). We play long, gradually unfolding improvised pieces inspired by dub reggae, American minimalism, and 1970s krautrock."

"Aurochs' music sits at the rich intersection of classic jazz-piano-trio instrumentation and a peculiar, asperous strain of minimalism... At once hypnotic and disquietingly propulsive, Rational Animals leaves the listener somewhat fatigued, yet still craving more." Nick Storring, Musicworks