John Lester: News

I am pleased to announce that my next New York show will be at Café Vivaldi on Saturday March 31st (7:15pm-8:15pm). Café Vivaldi is at the corner of Jones and Bleeker in the Village.  

I am starting a series of live recordings at NYC shows on Sunday January 15th at The Bitter End. I am looking forward to recording as many New York solo sets as possible in the coming year for a future live CD release. Also, on January 22nd, I'll be playing bass for the wonderful Nashville songstress Gretchen Peters at Joe's Pub!

Paul Tiernan and I are now booking our 6th European tour together for Fall 2012. We're playing as a double bill/duo with Paul on guitar/vocals.. We will play dates in Germany and Switzerland with possible shows in Paris and Amsterdam. More news to follow.

I'll be playing my first gig at Rockwood Music Hall on Monday September 12 at 6pm. Details at the Calendar page.

I'll be back at the Singer-Songwriter Sessions at the Bitter End on Sunday September 18th. My set is at 8:30pm. See "Calendar" page for details.

I've been invited down to one of my favorite New York clubs, The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, to play a set on their Sunday Singer-Songwriter Series on Sunday May 22nd. It's an all acoustic show with various acts. My set is from 8:30pm to 9pm (just Sarah and I doing our upright bass and vocal show). It's my first gig as a New York resident. For all of you in NYC come on down and if you live afar, please spread the word to anyone here that may be interested. See "Calendar" page for event details.

I have arrived in New York City and look forward to returning to venues like The Bitter End and The Living Room as well as developing relationships with more jazz and singer-songwriter venues. More Manhattan news soon.

After seven years in Amsterdam (and almost a decade in Europe), my family and I head to New York City in April. So Saturday March 5th, we're having a going away party. It'll start at 8:00pm and I will perform from 8:30 until 10:30, with the party continuing afterwards. See "Calendar" page for more info.

I will be back in the UK for shows at The 606 Club in London (March 24th), The Forge in North London (March 25th), and Acoustic Routes in Cambridge (March 26th). See Calendar page for details. 

I am excited to announce that I am relocating to New York City as of April, 2011. I am currently booking shows for 2011 in NYC and East Coast venues for both my jazz quartet and solo acoustic shows!

Irish singer-songwriter-guitarist Paul Tiernan and I will be getting together for our 5th International tour together since we met at the Rochefort en Accords Festival in 2005. Paul plays guitar on my songs and I play bass on his in a double-bill format. Go to the "Calendar" page for show listings and information.

I head into the studio to begin work on my next CD. The project is a collection of rock cover songs that have influenced me over the years performed in an acoustic jazz quartet format. It's "Chet Baker" meets "Counting Crows", if you will. The CD will feature my London quartet with Theo Travis on sax/flute, Steve Lodder on piano, and Davide Giovannini on drums. Release date - Spring 2011.

I'm in Amsterdam this month (solo at Zaal 100), my jazz quartet is also playing four UK shows, and in April I am back in San Francisco for reunion with my old band Basso Trio. See the "Calendar" page for details.

After successful tours in the fall in The Netherlands, Austria, and Germany, I'm beginning work on my next CD, a jazz quartet project to be recorded in London. I'll be testing out some tunes with my London band at my next 606 Club show on Sunday March 14th. Also look for more singer/songwriter and jazz shows in The Netherlands this year, starting with a solo performance at Zaal 100 in Amsterdam on Saturday March 20th. In the fall of 2010 I will return to Germany and Switzerland for a November tour with Paul Tiernan. See "Shows" page for gig details.

I will join Nashville hit songwriter Gretchen Peters as bassist in her trio and play support sets in The Netherlands from November 14th to November 20th. Starting on November 25th, I'm hooking up with Irish guitarist/songwriter Paul Tiernan on a double bill tour of Austria and Germany through December 6th.