Julian Lee

Julian Lee is quickly establishing himself as one of the most sought after and versatile saxophonists of his generation. He is the recipient of the 2017 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award from Jazz At Lincoln Center, and has performed both internationally and nationally with a wide array of critically acclaimed artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and Jon Batiste.

Julian hosted the late night jam session at Dizzy’s Club in Jazz at Lincoln Center from 2015 until 2019, playing with countless of the finest musicians on the New York scene. In addition to headlining his own projects at Dizzy’s, he has played at the Blue Note, Jazz Standard, Birdland, Newport Jazz Festival, and Monterey Jazz Festival.

Julian handles the Alto, Tenor, and Soprano saxophones with equal prowess, along with doubling on clarinet and flute. This unique skill set, along with his sight-reading abilities, has allowed him to play in the world’s finest big bands. Along with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Julian has performed with the Christian McBride Big Band, Mingus Big Band, and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. Julian is a member of Mwenso and The Shakes, a multinational collective led by singer, dancer, composer and entertainer, Michael Mwenso.

Julian completed his undergraduate studies at the Juilliard School, where he had the honor of studying with master saxophonist Joe Temperley. You can hear Julian on his father Mike Lee’s newest album, Song For All Of Us, Mwenso and The Shakes first release Emergence, and with the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra on their recording of Duke Ellington’s Black, Brown, and Beige.

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