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John is a diverse and multi-faceted musician. He plays reeds, pennywhistle, piano, keyboards and various hand percussion instruments. He is also an accomplished composer and arranger.

John is currently on tour throughout the US with the Tony Award winning Broadway show, Movin’ Out, as a featured saxophone soloist and percussionist. John has been a featured performer with many inspiring and legendary musicians: They Might Be Giants, Billy Joel, Mary Wilson, The O Jays, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Little Anthony & the Imperials, The Main Ingredient, Sister Sledge, Isaac Hayes, Reggie Workman, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Todd Wolfe, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Tony Trischka and many many others. He also presented the world premier of “Superball” for tenor saxophone and percussion ensemble, by Argentinian composer Jose Halac.

In 1997 John co-founded the acclaimed New York Horns. NYH’s EP “Tunnel Vision” and one single from it, “Miles From Chicago,” went on to be two of MP3.com’s most popular downloads (#1 Acid Jazz single), and the single ranked 18th in total plays for 1999. Over 3 million copies of NYH tracks went into circulation as a result of exposure on MP3.com. New York Horns’ writing, performing, and recording skills have been used by Sony Music, J Records, Skin Tight, the Hudson River Rats, Bernard Purdie’s All-Stars, Music Playground, Nia Monet, Matt Marshak, the Todd Wolfe Blues Projekt, the Kevin Kline Band, and many others. The exposure on MP3.com led to NYH being asked to join the writing team at Beach Street Music. Through that relationship, John has seen his original music placed on national television shows such as “Sally Jesse Raphael,” “The Maury Povich Show,” “The Montel Williams Show,” and “ Crossing Over with John Edwards,” as well as “ABC Sports” and “ABC News.”

John’s recording credits include New York Horns (“Tunnel Vision” ), Joe Gallant & Illuminati ("Live" Volumes 1 & 2 and "Terrapin"), The Kevin Kline Band ("Live From West Street"), Claire & Rusty Cloud ("Dream Come True"), Quinn Lemley ("Cocktails With a Twist", “Dance or Die”), Penelope Tobin ("When"), Urban Survival ("Urban Survival", “Storry Hill”), The Jim Donica Band, Mystic Pilgrims (Mystic Pilgrims"), The ODB ("The ODB"), Billy Eric ("Of Near & Distant Lands"), and Group Therapy ("Music of Multiple Minds"). Other credits include several episodes of the Bill Cosby cartoon series "Little Bill", the films "Moanin' For Momma" (with Isaac Hayes) and "BYOB" (Kevin Shinall), as well as writing & arranging for J Records, Sony Music, the Liberty Baptist Church, Joe Gallant's Illuminati, Group Therapy, MD Blessing, Bob Duncan, Skin Tight, New York Horns and the Razin' Cane Saxophone Quartet. In 2003 John scored the independent short film, "BYOB" (no relation to above) for filmmaker Ken Threet and Stygian Hour Productions. John’s saxophone playing has also been heard on dozens of local and national radio and television spots.

In 1990 John received his BFA in Jazz Performance, from the New School for Social Research, New York; in 1996 he earned an MA in Jazz Performance from the City University of New York, Queens College.

When not touring, John is actively involved in music education. He has maintained a private teaching studio in New York for over 15 years and has been a guest lecturer at The New School for Social Research, New York, NY; Greensboro College, Greensboro, NC; The University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC; and the John Coltrane Memorial Society Workshop, Winston Salem, NC. John designed and taught the theory, ear training and musicianship courses at the Harbor School for Performing Arts, NY, NY from 1989-1992 in addition to teaching saxophone and directing several ensembles. For more about John, please visit www.johnisley.com.