Biography

    John Lake is a New York City-based trumpet player and composer, maintaining a busy performance schedule as an in-demand lead trumpet player, jazz soloist, and recording artist. As a performer and clinician, John travels the US and abroad, performing at leading venues and collegiate jazz programs. John's acoustic jazz septet, The John Lake Ensemble, will be releasing a new album in early 2024 titled "ensemble | in situ" (Bandstand Presents), documenting a series of live video recordings produced in Brooklyn, New York. 

     John's debut album, "Seven Angels," was released in 2020 (Outside In Music). Recorded in Brooklyn, the record consists of a diverse mix of contemporary originals and modern arrangements of jazz classics, whose conceptions span the length of John's tenure in New York City. It received favorable reviews in printed press; All About Jazz said, "Compelling is the first word that comes to mind in describing John Lake's debut record as a leader," while Jazz Weekly noted, "...toes tapping on every beat. Red meat for hard boppers."

     Lake's recent large-ensemble performances and recordings include lead, section, and solo trumpet with Charlie Rosen’s Grammy Award-winning 8-Bit Big Band, Remy Le Boeuf's Assembly Of Shadows (Grammy-nominated), Steven Feifke Big Band, Danny Jonokuchi Big Band, Sam Blakeslee Big Band, Eyal Vilner Big Band, Revive Big Band, Roy Hargrove Big Band, Robert Edwards Big Band, John Yao’s 17-Piece Instrument, Erica Seguine Jazz Orchestra, Angela Morris/Anna Webber Big Band (NY Times "Best of 2020"), Brian Newman Big Band, Birdland Big Band, Brian Krock’s Big Heart Machine, the Terazza Big Band (Grammy-nominated), Ben Markley Big Band, Hyesong Hong Big Band, and Jihye Lee Jazz Orchestra. Additionally, John has performed at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater with the the American Ballet Theater Orchestra, and is a featured musician of the New York Rangers NHL team.

     In the worlds of popular music and musical theater, John’s diverse musical talents have afforded him opportunities to perform in the orchestras of several Broadway musical productions, including Merrily We Roll Along, MJ The Musical, Some Like It Hot, Mean Girls, and Be More Chill.  Currently, John performs as lead trumpet and featured soloist on the Joyce Theater's touring lindy-hop show, "SW!NG OUT," with the Eyal Vilner big band.  In recent years, John has performed and recorded with numerous icons from the realms of pop music, hip-hop, and musical theater, including Lauryn Hill & Fugees, Louis Cato, Mr. Carmack, Yu Sakai, Mary J. Blige, Mac Miller, Alex Newell, Marin Mazzie, Josh Groban, and Kristin Chenoweth. John's trumpet can be heard on the theme song for the NBA On ESPN, as well as national advertising campaigns for Nieman Marcus, Heineken, Panera Bread, and more.

     Originally from the midwest, Lake holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, and a Master of Music from the University of Colorado at Boulder. John has continued his academic interests into his professional career by performing and teaching clinics at high schools and colleges across the US and internationally. Additionally, John's writing on various jazz topics has been featured in DownBeat Magazine, JazzEd Online, and JazzTimes Online. 

John plays and endorses XO Brass instruments, and records with Barkley Microphones