In 2011, I was diagnosed and treated for tongue cancer, in British Columbia, where thankfully I was covered by BC single payer medical insurance. Unfortunately, it didn’t cover dental, with the side effects of radiation, my teeth slowly deteriorated. My health is in great condition, but this is a major
expense that I'm not able to afford.
I’ve been a professional saxophone player since the early 70s. My first instrument was the piano, which I still love and make a living from but the saxophone is something like no other instrument, in it's connection to my soul, and to the audience, that's much more personal, much like the voice, but different altogether. I wanted to play jazz, but the high school jazz band required us to play in the Marching Band at every football game during the season, starting in Monroe, Louisiana, at age 17,
That Tenor Sax has taken me all over the world, from New Orleans street parades, the Gong show, to the Library of Congress, all over the world, from the Blue Note Jazz club in Japan, The Melbourne Concert Hall, the Vienna Opera House, and the funkiest Juke Joints of Texas and Louisiana.
Luckily I’m decent piano player, and a singer, so I can keep working, but I really miss wailing on the Sax. I’ve gotten to work with some of my musical heroes, like Bonnie Raitt, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Page, Tower of Power, and played on some great recordings, with people like Lenny Pickett, the great sax bandleader on Saturday Night Live.
Here's an iTunes Playlist of some of my favorite Sax recordings over the years, some of mine, and other great players I've worked, including Danny Hull from the Doobie Brothers, Long John Baldry, and Lenny Pickett from Tower of Powe r and the Saturday Night Live Band.
The response has been wonderful with much love and support from people I've known throughout my life, and some of those who have inspired me as a musician, like Paul Williams, Huey Lewis, Bonnie Raitt, Gonzo of the Muppets (Dave Goelz) Chris Caswell, and the San Francisco Golden Gate Blues Society. Your support is much appreciated.
I’ve been a professional saxophone player since the early 70s. My first instrument was the piano, which I still love and make a living from but the saxophone is something like no other instrument, in it's connection to my soul, and to the audience, that's much more personal, much like the voice, but different altogether. I wanted to play jazz, but the high school jazz band required us to play in the Marching Band at every football game during the season, starting in Monroe, Louisiana, at age 17,
That Tenor Sax has taken me all over the world, from New Orleans street parades, the Gong show, to the Library of Congress, all over the world, from the Blue Note Jazz club in Japan, The Melbourne Concert Hall, the Vienna Opera House, and the funkiest Juke Joints of Texas and Louisiana.
Luckily I’m decent piano player, and a singer, so I can keep working, but I really miss wailing on the Sax. I’ve gotten to work with some of my musical heroes, like Bonnie Raitt, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Page, Tower of Power, and played on some great recordings, with people like Lenny Pickett, the great sax bandleader on Saturday Night Live.
Here's an iTunes Playlist of some of my favorite Sax recordings over the years, some of mine, and other great players I've worked, including Danny Hull from the Doobie Brothers, Long John Baldry, and Lenny Pickett from Tower of Powe r and the Saturday Night Live Band.
The response has been wonderful with much love and support from people I've known throughout my life, and some of those who have inspired me as a musician, like Paul Williams, Huey Lewis, Bonnie Raitt, Gonzo of the Muppets (Dave Goelz) Chris Caswell, and the San Francisco Golden Gate Blues Society. Your support is much appreciated.
Over the last 8 years, became more extractions, I’ve been getting by with a teeth guard like the football guys use, but it's painful after 15 or 20
minutes and the sound just ain’t the same, but the soul is still there, just waiting to come out. To survive in the music world, since losing some of my teeth,
I'm a very accomplished piano player, singer, and often do backing tracks, and transcriptions of some of the great smooth jazz sax players such as Boney James, Dave Koz, Kenny G, and Euge Groove, for smoothjazzbackingtracks.com I need Dental implants, and have gotten estimates from 13,000 to 20,000, Depending where I go in the world to get it done, USA, Mexico, Europe, the price can vary, but I’m starting this gofundme, now. My friend Dave Goelz, who created Zoot, the sax player on the Muppets, once gave me a statue of Zoot, signed “To John Lee, My Mentor” because I reminded Dave of his famous fictional character. For a donation of $300 or More, I’ll do a sax solo on your next CD, or do a Horn section with 2 or 3 saxes. Anything you care to contribute will be most appreciated,
I'm a very accomplished piano player, singer, and often do backing tracks, and transcriptions of some of the great smooth jazz sax players such as Boney James, Dave Koz, Kenny G, and Euge Groove, for smoothjazzbackingtracks.com I need Dental implants, and have gotten estimates from 13,000 to 20,000, Depending where I go in the world to get it done, USA, Mexico, Europe, the price can vary, but I’m starting this gofundme, now. My friend Dave Goelz, who created Zoot, the sax player on the Muppets, once gave me a statue of Zoot, signed “To John Lee, My Mentor” because I reminded Dave of his famous fictional character. For a donation of $300 or More, I’ll do a sax solo on your next CD, or do a Horn section with 2 or 3 saxes. Anything you care to contribute will be most appreciated,
Check out an advance preview
and pre-order
of my new CD, October 15
"Tweakin' Some Twang"
Blurring the lines of Blues,
Soul, Country, Americana, New Orleans
and pre-order
of my new CD, October 15
"Tweakin' Some Twang"
Blurring the lines of Blues,
Soul, Country, Americana, New Orleans
Emmy Nominated Composer •
Arranger • Producer • Performer
•Read More•
2004 Blues Award Nominee Song of the Year
German Music Critics Award 2015
Blues Album of the Year
San Francisco Drama Critics Award
Multi Instrumentalist
Piano Saxophone Vocalist
-
Caption Text
Opening for Bonnie Raitt 2012 -
Caption Text
Link -
Caption Text
3 Canadian Music Awards -
Caption Text
Meeting Rod the Mod -
Caption Text
Working with Willie -
Caption Text
Keith Emerson Keyboard duel -
Caption Text
World Blue Band Austria
Songwriter Producer Performer
His songs have been recorded by Eddie Kendricks of the Temptations, and Marsha Ball, who received a Grammy nomination, for blues CD of the year, with the hit single from Sanders.
Read More
His childhood encounters with the likes of Elvis Presley and Dr. Martin Luther King are part of the landscape that influenced this gifted performer and composer.
John Lee has shared the stage, opened for, recorded or toured with some of the legends last 50 years, including Jimmy Page, Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, , Starship, Bill Withers, Chuck Berry,Randy Newman ,Bonnie Raitt, Freddie King ,Tower of Power, and many more.
John Lee has shared the stage, opened for, recorded or toured with some of the legends last 50 years, including Jimmy Page, Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, , Starship, Bill Withers, Chuck Berry,Randy Newman ,Bonnie Raitt, Freddie King ,Tower of Power, and many more.