Scottish jazz saxophonist John Burgess trained at the Berklee College and Boston and has performed extensively from bases on the West Coast of the United States as well as his homeland. His tours have taken him through Europe, Scandinavia, and the Middle East and he has performed and recorded with some of the finest jazz players from the British scene. He also dove into the Bay Area scene, traditionally one of the strongest and most varied in the United States. This led to a collaboration with Los Angeles pianist Henry Franklin, with whom he formed a trio. Franklin has accompanied star American jazz players such as Sonny Rollins, Pharoah Sanders, Zoot Sims, and Dexter Gordon, so it can be assumed he knows good tenor playing when he hears it and isn't keeping company with Burgess just because of his boyish good looks. In addition to contemporary jazz, Burgess has presented recitals of both Baroque and 19th century French saxophone music, a repertoire that calls for extreme virtuosity in terms of both tone and technique. He has also honked tenor in several blues and swing revival groups.

From his U.K. base he formed the John Burgess Quartet, which features fellow Berklee alumni Assaf Sawani on drums, Raphael Mizraki doubling on bass and percussion, and the fine pianist Liam Noble. He also performs in a duo setting with the latter player, resulting in the acclaimed recording What It Means to Remember. In 2000, the group played festival and club dates in Canada and the United States. He also scheduled musical activities with a former associate, the acclaimed British trumpeter Harry Beckett. This included a new compact disc featuring the trumpeter's new quintet. He has also recorded with the drum'n'bass group Pendulum. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi