June 24, John Lee heads to Europe for a month long tour of Austria, Germany and Italy
Headlining some of Europe's major blues and jazz festivals



European Tour starts June 27-July 19,
John Performs in Austria Germany and Italy with the World Blue Band, and
TBA concerts with New Ohr Linz, Austria's top Dixieland traditional New Orleans jazz band
June 27, St. Georgen / Trivent Festival 8:00 PM (JLS and the World Blue Band)
July 1, Linz Austria, Linz / Arkadenhof Keintzel (JLS and the World Blue) www.rocksommer.at
July 2, Wels Austria, The Sound Theater
July 3rd LEONDING/AUSTRIA
July 4th    BRUGNERA/ITALY Blues in Villa
July 7, Passau Germany, Passau Jazz festival
July 8, Valdagno/Italy t.b.a.
July 9, Friuli/Italy t.b.a.
July 10, San Vito Blues and Soul Festival, www.sanvitobluesandsoul.it
July 11, Vienna/Austria Die Einfahrt www.sandras-salon.comustria

July 19 Puchberg b. Wels / Jazz-Matinee (JLS withNew Ohr Linz Dixie Jazz Band)

Back to Canada
August 1, Back to the blues festival, Chilliwack BC
August 2, Kaslo Jazz Festival, Kaslo BC
August 14-15, The Blue Gator, Kelowna BC Canada
August 22, Free outdoor Concert, Downtown Kelowna BC, presented by Parks Alive
September 5, White Rock Blues Society
October 16-17-18, Alberta Touring Alliance
Nov. 21, Kelowna BC, Rotary Center for the Arts, Benefit show

April 2010, European Tour,

Bucket Full of Blues

In his first new Studio album in many years, John Lee used his high energy funk /blues touring band in Europe and recorded the CD in Austria, with overdubs all over the world.
Laying down the funk, is veteran New Orleans Drummer Jeff Boudreaux (Jon Cleary, James Booker, and more) along with some of the best players in Austria.

Now available on PAO Records, soon to be released worldwide on digital download and in stores in the USA and Canada
Also Available on Itunes

Now getting Airplay on Jazz FM 91, with Danny Marks in Toronto Ontario

LINER NOTES BY DAVID RITZ


David Ritz

www.ritzwrites.com

Thirty years ago, still in the full bloom innocence, I walked into a little club in Dallas, Texas, and had the top of my head blown off by a bluesman with firepower to burn.

The kid's name was John Lee Sanders, and now the kid's a man, and the man, steeped in the towering tradition of deep-fried funk, is offering up his Bucket Full of Blues.

The bucket is overflowing with creative gifts

The bluesman has reached full maturity, and that promise of youth,
heard so long ago, has been realized.

I'm grateful for this chance to celebrate John's most recent
achievement and offer my testimony.

Here's what I feel about John Lee Sanders:

He's a truth-teller, an artist who can't help but give it to you straight.

Here's what I love about John Lee Sanders: The World Blue Band

His voice. Raw. Real. Sweet. Tart. An instrument of tremendous
emotional and spiritual range.

His writing. His hooks. His stories. His sense, as he puts it, of
"The World As I Know It."

His deep Louisiana roots. His powerful connection to the fertile soil.

His grit, his grooves.

His honesty.

His haunting cry, his courageous assault on anything false.

"I've never claimed to be something I'm not," he writes in "Handful.
"I've got my flaws, but my heart is good."

His music, his singing, his aesthetic vision are more than good;
they're flat-out great.

At this troubling moment in the history of the Music Nation, John Lee Sanders stands tall. He's major. In his own words, he's hitched a ride from Memphis, dealing with the ghosts of Highway 61, arriving in New Orleans in order to comfort us with the good news: that true music is truer than ever. His songs, full-bodied and blood-washed, are rooted in reality. He reminds us that blues are concerned with neither nostalgia nor self-pity. John Lee Sanders' blues are about nothing less a renewal of strength, a resurrection of the human spirit, a projection of hard-earned hope and a declaration of extravagant love.

David Ritz (www.ritzwrites.com)

David Ritz has written biographies of, among others, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin and Etta James. He co-composed "Sexual Healing."

John Lee collaborated with the Brilliant lyricist, Chris Caswell on the new CD. While accolades for his work as a lyricist on classic jazz compositions have been received from songwriting legends Hal David and Alan & Marilyn Bergman, among others, Chris Caswell enjoys the creation and expression of music in all forms. Whether performing as the music director and arranger for events as varied as a tribute to Stevie Wonder on Capitol Hill, writing a symphony to debut at Carnegie Hall, or working on Disney’s upcoming Muppet Holiday special, his versatility and originality remain constant.

Mardi Gras Day, Feb 24, CBC Radio live broadcast from the Yale, Vancouver's legendary Home of the Blues for many years
John Lee played a double bill with Gary Comeau and the Voodoo Allstars, with a guest appearance with Kenny Blues Boss Wayne.
This show will broadcast on CBC 2 May 27th at 8:00 PM, nationwide in Canada on. Also will be broadcast on Holger Peterson's Saturday Night Blues, on CBC Radio

on May 5, 2009, in Washington DC, John Lee performed with an all star band of the great LA session players, backing the greatest songwriters and composers of the last 50 years, at the library of Congress, With introductions and honors by House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Barbara Boxer, and many of our Senators and Congressmen.
JImmy Webb
Paul Williams, Congratulations Paul for becoming the Chairman of the Board for ASCAP
Ashford & Simpson
Johnny Mandel (Shadow of your Smile, Theme from Mash
Alan and Marilyn Bergman
Hal David (Bacharach/ David)
Chris Caswell, Music Director (John & Chris have collaborated on compositions since 1989, and have been nominated for a 2007 Emmy for song of the year)


Feb 21, 2009, Live at the Capital Soundstage, in Merritt BC, in a sold out show for this recently added music venue to the local music scene.
The show was filmed with a 4 camera setup, and will be posting videos on youtube of the show.

Feb 28, 2009, another sold out show The Rotary Center for the Arts, Kelowna BC, John Lee's new hometown, as of 2007

John added the icing on the cake, with his red hot rhythm section, Tony Robertson on guitar, old friends from the 90s and 00s, touring with Long John Baldry,
Scott Grant on Drums, and Dean Singh on bass. He also flew up 2 of the top horn players from the Vancouver jazz blues recording scene,
Bill Runge on Tenor Sax, and Vince Mai on Trumpet. Vince had the #1 Smooth Jazz record of 2006 in Canada.
John Lee brought New Orleans to Kelowna, on a beautiful 9 Ft Steinway Concert Grand, a Fender Strat and a Vintage Tenor Saxophone that's traveled the world.
The crowd gave 2 standing ovations in one of the more memorable shows that will be talked about for years to come.

Just to say a big THANK YOU for such a fantastic concert last Saturday in Kelowna. Wow!
Please let me/us know when you are playing again.
I/we listen to your CD so much and I love “Stars fall from the sky” and “Do you need a miracle?”
It has to be one of the best concerts I’ve been to: very inspiring. Thank you.
Welcome to Kelowna
Best Wishes,
Pippa DeWitt
___________________________________________________________________


John Lee, it is an honor for us to have at our festival a great artist like you!
See you soon!
Antonio Palatini, San Vito De Cadore Blues and Soul Festival, Italy, 2009

___________________________________________________
"Rocking show last night! Thanks for a great evening."
Seth Meister, Kelowna
_____________________________________________________
"Fit for a king, John! Great pleasure to hear you! Best wishes.
Tim Hearsey" Blues Guitarist, Vancouver BC
________________________________________________________
"Its a real pleasure to finally meet you in person. I've been listening to the cd you gave me and man let me tell ya its a beautiful piece of work. I look forward to when we meet again. God bless." Will Sanders, of the Sojourners, Vancouver Gospel trio,
_____________________________________________________________
We had the good fortune to be at the Kelowna performance this evening.
It was outstanding. On the way home we were trying to remember the
names of the members of the band and, despite the frequent earnest
efforts to repeat their names, we couldn't recall one. I think we were
so blown away by the music, it was foremost in our minds.
Congratulations to Mr. Sanders on an outstanding and very well received
'homecoming.'

Susan Wells and Ed Taylor, Kelowna BC Canada
_________________________________________________________

 Hey John: Great show on Saturday. love the gospel album, John Simmons, Kelowna BC
_________________________________________________________
"Wow!
What a show you put on, really great.
Like a true supa-star!
A standing ovation, too.
We tried to say hello after the show
but it seemed like you were
getting swamped with fans.
Go figure, you guys were all fabulous."
Leah West, Kelowna BC
____________________________________
That must have been a Fine gig! Wish I was there.,
Robbie Steininger, Fabulous Vancouver Guitarist

Just nominated for a Western Canada music award, is Doc Goes Hollywood, featuring the vocals of John Lee Sanders, in the songs of Doc Kupka, founding member of Tower of Power, and the incredible Orchestrations of William Ross, (Academy Awards, Josh Groban, Barbara Streisand)

According to New York Post Columnist, LIz Smith
"Barbra Streisand is reportedly so fond of sax man/composer Doc Kupka's new CD of ballads, "Doc Goes Hollywood" (vocals by John Lee Sanders), that she told him she wants them to make beautiful music together. The album has string arrangements by William Ross, who is Barbra's musical director. Ross clued Barbra in on the CD, and now she is ready to record with Doc. Although Barbra has tried her hand at rock and disco - and had some surprisingly effective successes! - her métier is standards. Nobody does it better.

Music fans know Kupka for his funkier "Tower of Power" sounds, but he decided to go all dreamy and classic with songs like "I Made This Movie Before," "A Very Special Night" and "That One Special Someone."

Nancy Sinatra, who helms "Siriusly Sinatra" - a weekly satellite-radio program much devoted to her dad's magic way with a song - is planning to give a lot of airtime to "Doc Goes Hollywood." Mr. Kupka is gonna have to change his moniker. Up to now he's been known as "The Funky Doctor." That won't do when you're saxing it up with Barbra. "



Best known as a founding member of the legendary Oakland, California horn band Tower of Power and a prodigious songwriter, Stephen “Doc” Kupka has once again pulled together the best of the best for this, his latest Strokeland Records release. This release, however, is a major departure from Doc’s trademark East Bay Soul or “snap funk” style. A personal dream of Doc’s for over twenty years, Doc Goes Hollywood is a collection of lush ballads in a modern “Great American Songbook” style.

In the style of the great classic American songwriters, these are finely-crafted songs where melody is king and every lyrical turn of phrase has been lovingly crafted to be the best it can be. Written, performed, and engineered to stand the test of time, these songs exude true musical and emotional depth.


Doc Kupka called on his friend and “A-list” Hollywood composer, arranger, and music director, William Ross, to provide full orchestral arrangements. Mr. Ross (whose credits also include Barbra Streisand, Michael Bublé, and top Hollywood films such as “Ladder 49”, “Forrest Gump”, and “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”) delivered arrangements that are simply stunning