The John Kalleen Group

The John Kalleen Group is a classic ”Blue Note Era” jazz quintet! They offer fresh compositions, echoing the admired hard bop and post-bop eras of the 50s, 60s and 70’s but infused with a modern, dynamic spark. They deliver swinging, spirited arrangements of the classics from those eras. In an age of pickup bands, where “group performance” often means an assemblage of soloists trading licks, the JKG is instead a true ensemble, a quintet of musicians who rehearse and arrange together to create the kind of flowing, harmonious interplay, joyous power and full-bodied sound that comes only from a mutual, enduring dedication. Put more simply, the JKG is a tight, creative band that swings like mad and is a blast to listen to! The band is led by trumpeter John Kalleen. John’s band mates are all jazz veterans, including tenor saxophonist Peter Graves, pianist Jon Herbst, bassist Blake Richardson and drummer Eric Thompson. An evening with the John Kalleen Group is a night of excellent musicianship, up-tempo energy and killer jazz with an inventive drive. “I love music!” exclaims John who was exposed to music at a very young age. “Music was always being played or performed in my house, everything from Miles to Mozart.” Beginning on piano at the age of eight under the tutelage of his pianist/composer father, John soon started having his own ideas about music. At a jazz concert John heard how the young Freddie Hubbard played the trumpet and it became clear to John that he would express his musical creativity with the trumpet. John’s mother bought him his first trumpet at the age of twelve. At sixteen John formed a Dixieland jazz combo performing regularly at local venues and at state music education competitions wining numerous awards. John’s unique dark sound and trumpet style developed from the influence of such jazz trumpet greats as, Chet Baker, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan. John’s most beloved jazz artist/trumpeter-vocalist was the late Chet Baker. He undoubtedly has influenced John’s style of playing the most! John explains that “Chet’s solos were beautiful melodies onto themselves and his vocals were from the soul!” On rare occasions you may hear John performing a vocal or two himself. Before creating “The John Kalleen Group” in 2005, he lead and performed for thirteen years with the “High Society Jazz Band” and “The Tout Va Bien Jazz Quintet”. Although John has performed primary all over the west coast, he also enjoys performing in New Orleans (Fritzel’s) and Amsterdam N.L.

(Café Alto) when visiting family in Europe. John enjoyed a successful business career for over twenty-five years as the President and CEO of Computers America Inc. John has gone back to his roots and heartfelt passions of devoting himself again to his music. Show less