This week, the Jazz Club brings you the John Lee Trio from Vancouver. John’s show will celebrate the upcoming release (July 2024) of his sophomore recording “Second Wind” on the Grammy Award winning record label Cellar Live. Recorded in December 2023 at Monarch Studios in Vancouver, the album features Lee on piano alongside the renowned and illustrious rhythm section of Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums.
For this show, John’s trio consists of Lee on piano, Kosma Busheikin on bass, and Graham Villette on drums. The sound of the trio bridges the gap between the past and the future of modern jazz — a collective true to the "straight ahead" sound with a contemporary improvisational approach on the repertoire of The Great American Songbook or compositions by a Jazz legend from the early 20th century.
Raised in Nanaimo BC, multi-instrumentalist John Lee continues to be one of the highest acclaimed jazz artists nationwide. After showing great interest in music at a young age, Lee developed into a virtuoso by his late teens. He moved to Boston in 2010 to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston where he was mentored by Ralph Peterson Jr and Dave Santoro. Lee then relocated back to his west coast motherland in 2016 and began his professional career.
Lee's experience as a sideman goes far beyond his years. Raised as a local of Vancouver Island, his early performing experiences were with Canadian artists such as Order of Canada recipient Phil Dwyer and internationally acclaimed Jazz trumpeter Ingrid Jensen. At age 19, Lee made his performance debut in the US with pianist Cyrus Chestnut at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola (Jazz at Lincoln Center) in New York City. Lee spent much of the early 2010's on the bandstand supporting visiting artists in Victoria BC where he performed with American pianists Larry Fuller, George Colligan and Misha Piatigorsky. Starting an association with internationally recognized Jazz saxophonist and impresario Cory Weeds in recent years, Lee was provided many opportunities to share the stage with the who's who of the Jazz world. Since 2017, Lee has performed with many world class visiting artists in Vancouver BC including Terell Stafford, Roy McCurdy, Ralph Moore, Grant Stewart, Jeremy Pelt, Eric Alexander, Joe Farnsworth, Peter Bernstein, Benny Benack III, Alexander Claffy, Mike LeDonne, Lucy Yeghiazaryan, Michael Weiss, Dick Oatts, Jim Rotondi, Nicole Glover and Joe Magnarelli.
With the support of the Cellar Music Group, Lee recorded his first album “The Artist” in 2021 under the Cellar Live record label featuring legendary Jazz drummer Carl Allen. His new recording “Second Wind” is set to release this summer; however, advanced physical copies will be available for purchase exclusively at the concert.
ADMISSION: By donation.
CONCESSION: Coffee, tea and treats are also available by donation.
DOORS: Open at 6:30pm.
