John Sanders(XXI)
- Composer
John Lee Sanders can sit in front of a piano and bring the smoke from a
Texas BBQ, A New Orleans Street Parade, and the Soul of the Mississippi
Delta, all in one set. He's an Emmy nominated Composer, and winner of
three 2009 Canadian Music Awards. His songs, voice and film scores have
been heard on CBC Radio-Canada Live, Network Television, Commercials
for giants of industry such as Apple Computer, Nissan & Wal-Mart. He is
beginning to headline blues and Jazz festivals across Europe and
Canada, his music is crossing over into mainstream pop culture.
His 2004 Hit, "Foreclose on the House of Love" was nominated for Blues song of the year, reached #9 on the charts, and helped acquire a Grammy nomination for Marcia Ball. His 2009 single, "Christmas with the King" about an imaginary meeting with Elvis, received 15,000 downloads in 2 days from a special promotion from the Vancouver Province Newspaper. In December 2010, he was the special guest of the 75 voice Vancouver Good Noise Gospel Choir for 3 sold out concerts "Along with being a fabulous musician, his captivating spirit brought the audiences to their feet at each of our three concerts."
In 2010, John was invited to perform in a special concert honoring American Songwriters, Hosted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Paul Williams. Performing with JD Souther , Tracy Chapman, Alan Bergman, Dion and others. R&B Music icon Bill Withers asked John Lee to close the show by sing lead on his mega-hit anthem, "Lean On Me".
Also in 2010, John Lee were some of the top spots on major Western Canada Music festivals, Including Calgary Blues Fest, Taste of Edmonton and the Salmon Arm Roots and blues Fest, drawing 25,000 people "Taking the stage at the Bluesfest on Saturday afternoon was the John Lee Sanders Band, showing Calgary blues fans the heart and soul of the New Orleans Sound: blues-infused soul, jazz and gospel at its finest."
On January 30th 2010, As the Headliner, along with some of the top musical acts in the Okanagan, BC ; he helped raise $35,000 in the concert, "Helping Hands for Haiti", after the devastation in Haiti last January.
John Lee is a quadruple threat vocal/instrumentalist on Piano, saxophone and guitar. Since 1995, he's released 9 CDs, a live concert DVD, and over 120,000 hits on Youtube music videos. His recent 2009 New Years Eve Show was rated the #2 event across Canada by the Toronto Star!. The European press has credited John Lee for bringing the Blues into the 21st Century, with it's deep lyric content, and fusing the influence of the best in pop, jazz, country, gospel, New Orleans street rhythms, funk, soul, and Rhythm & Blues.
He spent his youth in the Mississippi Delta, the swamps of Louisiana, & the plains of Texas, immersed in the wealth of jazz, country, blues and gospel music that have become the DNA of North American pop music for over fifty years. The deeply intertwined roots in music of this gifted piano, sax and vocal performer/composer have found inspiration in some very interesting places. John Lee's grandmother played piano in the silent movie theaters of Memphis and lived a few short blocks from Stax Records, the birthplace of American soul music. His mother's first cousin played trombone with W.C. Handy, "father of the blues", and encouraged John's music early on. He met Elvis Presley and his folks in Memphis in 1957, when Presley bought his first house a few doors down from John Lee's Aunt and Uncle. Gladys and Vernon Presley took little John Lee in for a tour of the house, and sent him on his way, inspired that a boy could grow up to be President or a Rock star.
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. At twelve years old, John Lee was billed as "Birmingham's answer to Little Stevie Wonder". He received a music scholarship and studied saxophone, guitar and piano, which led to a degree in composition from the prestigious North Texas State University. While abroad studying painting and music in Rome, he was introduced to Professor Longhair and Dr. John at the Montreux Jazz Festival, which awakened his passion for New Orleans piano.
In 1975, when John Lee's equipment truck broke down on the way to a gig in Austin, Texas, an up an coming Stevie Ray Vaughan put John and the band up at his home, and energized his life long love of the blues. John has now incorporated the "Texas Stratocaster" sound into the show, and is bringing in a new generation of fans.
Acting on an invitation from the drummer from the Doobie Brothers, John Lee headed west in 1977 to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he signed a major label deal with Rod Stewart's Riva Records, and a production contract with Narada Michael Walden, the most successful producer of the 80s & 90s, creating mega hits for Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin. He became a top west coast session player, performing live and in the studio with icons such as Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Huey Lewis, Chuck Berry, just to name a few. John Lee was the music director for many years with Long John Baldry, holding down the keyboard spot formerly held by Elton John.
In the Summer of 2010, John Lee was the surprise hit of the Calgary Blues festival, the Salmon Arm Roots & Blues fest. In March 2010, he Performed for the first time Eastern Europe, with great response in Poland and the Czech Republic.
His 2004 Hit, "Foreclose on the House of Love" was nominated for Blues song of the year, reached #9 on the charts, and helped acquire a Grammy nomination for Marcia Ball. His 2009 single, "Christmas with the King" about an imaginary meeting with Elvis, received 15,000 downloads in 2 days from a special promotion from the Vancouver Province Newspaper. In December 2010, he was the special guest of the 75 voice Vancouver Good Noise Gospel Choir for 3 sold out concerts "Along with being a fabulous musician, his captivating spirit brought the audiences to their feet at each of our three concerts."
In 2010, John was invited to perform in a special concert honoring American Songwriters, Hosted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Paul Williams. Performing with JD Souther , Tracy Chapman, Alan Bergman, Dion and others. R&B Music icon Bill Withers asked John Lee to close the show by sing lead on his mega-hit anthem, "Lean On Me".
Also in 2010, John Lee were some of the top spots on major Western Canada Music festivals, Including Calgary Blues Fest, Taste of Edmonton and the Salmon Arm Roots and blues Fest, drawing 25,000 people "Taking the stage at the Bluesfest on Saturday afternoon was the John Lee Sanders Band, showing Calgary blues fans the heart and soul of the New Orleans Sound: blues-infused soul, jazz and gospel at its finest."
On January 30th 2010, As the Headliner, along with some of the top musical acts in the Okanagan, BC ; he helped raise $35,000 in the concert, "Helping Hands for Haiti", after the devastation in Haiti last January.
John Lee is a quadruple threat vocal/instrumentalist on Piano, saxophone and guitar. Since 1995, he's released 9 CDs, a live concert DVD, and over 120,000 hits on Youtube music videos. His recent 2009 New Years Eve Show was rated the #2 event across Canada by the Toronto Star!. The European press has credited John Lee for bringing the Blues into the 21st Century, with it's deep lyric content, and fusing the influence of the best in pop, jazz, country, gospel, New Orleans street rhythms, funk, soul, and Rhythm & Blues.
He spent his youth in the Mississippi Delta, the swamps of Louisiana, & the plains of Texas, immersed in the wealth of jazz, country, blues and gospel music that have become the DNA of North American pop music for over fifty years. The deeply intertwined roots in music of this gifted piano, sax and vocal performer/composer have found inspiration in some very interesting places. John Lee's grandmother played piano in the silent movie theaters of Memphis and lived a few short blocks from Stax Records, the birthplace of American soul music. His mother's first cousin played trombone with W.C. Handy, "father of the blues", and encouraged John's music early on. He met Elvis Presley and his folks in Memphis in 1957, when Presley bought his first house a few doors down from John Lee's Aunt and Uncle. Gladys and Vernon Presley took little John Lee in for a tour of the house, and sent him on his way, inspired that a boy could grow up to be President or a Rock star.
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. At twelve years old, John Lee was billed as "Birmingham's answer to Little Stevie Wonder". He received a music scholarship and studied saxophone, guitar and piano, which led to a degree in composition from the prestigious North Texas State University. While abroad studying painting and music in Rome, he was introduced to Professor Longhair and Dr. John at the Montreux Jazz Festival, which awakened his passion for New Orleans piano.
In 1975, when John Lee's equipment truck broke down on the way to a gig in Austin, Texas, an up an coming Stevie Ray Vaughan put John and the band up at his home, and energized his life long love of the blues. John has now incorporated the "Texas Stratocaster" sound into the show, and is bringing in a new generation of fans.
Acting on an invitation from the drummer from the Doobie Brothers, John Lee headed west in 1977 to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he signed a major label deal with Rod Stewart's Riva Records, and a production contract with Narada Michael Walden, the most successful producer of the 80s & 90s, creating mega hits for Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin. He became a top west coast session player, performing live and in the studio with icons such as Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Huey Lewis, Chuck Berry, just to name a few. John Lee was the music director for many years with Long John Baldry, holding down the keyboard spot formerly held by Elton John.
In the Summer of 2010, John Lee was the surprise hit of the Calgary Blues festival, the Salmon Arm Roots & Blues fest. In March 2010, he Performed for the first time Eastern Europe, with great response in Poland and the Czech Republic.