His name is Eric “Mouse” Johnson. For many years he was the drummer for many fantastic artists. He has toured and/or performed in every medium that exists. He is a musician, song writer and producer, as well as a videographer. He has been in the music business for many years and has seen many trends come and go. Some of the artists he has performed with live, on screen and in the studio are -- Aretha Franklin, Lou Reed, KiKi Dee, Elton John, Brenda Russell, David Clayton Thomas, Chuck Berry, Al Wilson, David Foster and many others too numerous to mention.

For the last 10 years or so he’s been running a studio and working with some of the finest new talent on the planet. He also somehow found the time to host two Monday night jam sessions here in LA. The first was at a club called Josephinas. It was a truly incredible happening that lasted for more than six years. The biggest and best people in the industry would pop in to just hang or perform. It was there that he started charging people a toy as admission for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season. “We thought that was the least our friends and fans could bring to the party. Instead of cash at the door, to see us, it would be toys and canned goods for the kids and the homeless. Thus, we became The Toy Band”.
They are still The Toy Band and they still collect both toys and canned goods for Christmas. But, now they also make recordings to raise much needed money for the less fortunate. Everyone donates their time, talent and expertise to pull this thing off. It really is a joy for those who perform and participate. That’s the pay off! All profits go to organizations that help the homeless. “We want to share the joy of the season and let them know that people do care”. Most of what happens is just the same as the spirit of the jam sessions. They get together in the studio, adjust the mics, turn on the tape recorders and play. The enthusiasm, energy and musicality always seems to take over and a simple idea becomes a special musical adventure.
These jam sessions have resulted in three recordings. All of them are available on CD and cassette (An Eclectic Christmas), and our latest release (You Betta Watch Out). The first release (The Toy Band & Friends) is also available on CD now. “We are very proud of these endeavors and we hope you will help our cause buy purchasing one or more of these recordings. If you want to give the gift of real love this holiday season, this is it. You, your friends and family can repeatedly enjoy these unique, contemporary renditions of enduring holiday classics for years to come. We hope our music endures the test of time as part of your Yuletide experience”.