By Malcolm Holt

Special to the Record

In the second of four summer jazz concerts at The Gardens on Anderton, presented by Georgia Straight Jazz Society, multi-instrumentalist John Lee leads an amazing trio on guitar featuring compositions by prominent jazz legends, as well as original interpretations of the Great American Songbook.

The concert takes place on Thursday, Aug. 3, at 5 p.m.

One of the most respected up-and-coming jazz musicians in the GSJS calendar, Lee spends most of his time leading groups on the piano as well as working as a sideman bassist - making his performance on this occasion as a guitarist a rare and special occurrence.

Joining Lee will be bassist Kosma Busheikin and drummer Graham Villette.

鈥淓xpect to be uplifted by a wide range of tunes like Somethin鈥� Special by the great hard-bop pianist Sonny Clark, or to be serenaded with a standard like I Thought About You by Jimmy Van Heusen.鈥�

Raised in Nanaimo, Lee is one of the most respected and acclaimed young jazz musicians nationwide. After showing great interest in music at a young age, Lee developed into a virtuoso by his late teens and by the time Lee completed his high school studies he had received a remarkable amount of recognition by prominent jazz musicians in Canada and earned an impressive array of awards, scholarships, and honours from Envision Jazz Festival, MusicFest Canada and Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.

Lee attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music and received a full tuition and housing scholarship. He completed his undergraduate studies in May 2016 and received a bachelor of music in performance.

In addition to his academic training in Boston, Lee was mentored by world-renowned jazz educators Dave Santoro, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ralph Peterson Jr., and John Clayton.

After relocating back to Canada and residing in Victoria, Lee has become an in-demand musician for accompanying visiting artists and has had opportunities to perform with artists, including Buster Williams, Rudy Royston, George Colligan and Misha Piatigorsky.

Lee has shared the stage with international jazz artists, including Cyrus Chestnut, Larry Fuller, Seamus Blake, Terell Stafford, Ingrid Jensen as well as prominent Canadian jazz artists and educators Phil Dwyer, Christine Jensen, Ryan Oliver, Brad Turner, Neil Swainson and David Restivo.

You鈥檙e invited to bring your own folding chairs, drinks and picnics, and choose your own shaded spot under one of the large willow trees, or select a seat located under one of the marquises. There鈥檚 great sound wherever you choose to sit.

Sodas, ices, and snacks will also be available from the Garden Shop.

Anderton Gardens is located directly behind Anderton Nursery. Look for the 鈥淟ive Jazz鈥� sign and follow the directions of the parking volunteers.

Admission is $20 (cash only please).

Malcolm Holt is the president of the Georgia Straight Jazz Society.