Jon Cleary at The Bitter End

Jon Cleary was born in London in 1962... not the first line you expect in a bio about a New Orleans piano great, is it ? Not only that, but he’s a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, arranger and producer, as well. Guitar was his first love, starting in England at age 5, moving on to performing at 11 and graduating to working as a musician at 14. At age 16 he formed ‘Delta Wing’ with renowned blues slide guitarist Roger Hubbard (of whom Muddy Waters said in1972: 'Roger Hubbard is as good as any blues guitarist in the UK or the United States’.) This would be the first of his many brushes with greatness.As a teen Cleary grew increasingly interested in funk-infused music and discovered that three such songs that heparticularly admired–LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade,” Robert Palmer’s version of “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley,”and Frankie Miller’s rendition of “Brickyard Blues”–were attributed to Allen Toussaint as either the songwriter, theproducer, or both...

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Jon Cleary was born in London in 1962... not the first line you expect in a bio about a New Orleans piano great, is it ? Not only that, but he’s a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, arranger and producer, as well. Guitar was his first love, starting in England at age 5, moving on to performing at 11 and graduating to working as a musician at 14. At age 16 he formed ‘Delta Wing’ with renowned blues slide guitarist Roger Hubbard (of whom Muddy Waters said in1972: 'Roger Hubbard is as good as any blues guitarist in the UK or the United States’.) This would be the first of his many brushes with greatness.As a teen Cleary grew increasingly interested in funk-infused music and discovered that three such songs that heparticularly admired–LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade,” Robert Palmer’s version of “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley,”and Frankie Miller’s rendition of “Brickyard Blues”–were attributed to Allen Toussaint as either the songwriter, theproducer, or both. Cleary’s knowledge of Toussaint’s workexpanded significantly when his uncle returned home tothe U.K., after a two-year sojourn in New Orleans, with a copy of a Toussaint LP and two suitcases full of NewOrleans R&B 45s.The match was struck. In 1981 Cleary flew to New Orleans for an initial pilgrimage and took a cab straight from theairport to the Maple Leaf Bar, a storied venue which then featured such great blues-rooted eclectic pianists asRoosevelt Sykes and James Booker. Cleary first worked at the Maple Leaf as a painter, but soon graduated toplaying piano—the instrument for which he is known today. His mastery of the New Orleans style landed him gigsplaying as a session musician in the bands of local legends Earl King, Johnny Adams, Walter ‘Wolfman’ Washington,Snooks Eaglin, Ernie K-Doe, Jessie Hill and as a guitarist for Mac Rebennack (Dr John).'Listen, we got a guy by the name of Johnny Cleary who’s been livin’ in N’awlins for a long time. He’s got thespirit. You can’t beat that'.-Dr. John1989 saw the release of Cleary’sfirst album,Alligator Lips & Dirty Rice. It was also the year he moved briefly to NewYork and landed the job of providing the backing band for visiting New Orleans artists at leading NY venue, ‘Tramps’.In New York he was able to study Afro Cuban musicand, after a temporary move back to London, started travelingregularly to Havana and Santiago in the early 90’s.‘I love playing with Jon Cleary, he’s the real deal’-Taj MahalSoon after, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards introduced Cleary tomusician/record producer John Porter whothen hired him to write, record and tour with Taj Mahal-who covered four of Cleary’s compositions. When Portersecured a record deal for Cleary with Virgin, Cleary invested the advance money on recording equipmentand set upa studio in New Orleans where he recordedMoonburn, and then two further records for Basin Street Records. Hecalled the studio, aptly, “Funk Headquarters”.'Cleary is the 8th wonder of the world’-Bonnie RaittLater on in Los Angeles, performing with BB King, Cleary was asked by Bonnie Raitt to join her new band in which heplayed keyboards, percussion and guitar. Cleary stayed for a decade, Raitt cut five of Cleary’s songs, and all thewhile, Cleary juggled his own career touring aroundthe world with his celebrated band, the Absolute MonsterGentlemen.“Cleary can be an absolute monster on his own, but Cleary’s full combo R&B is as broad, deep and roiling asthe Mississippi river, the combined swinging product of local keyboard tradition, Cleary’s vocal-songwritingflair for moody Seventies soul and the spunky-meters roll of his Gentlemen”-David Fricke, Rolling StoneIn 2016, Cleary releasedGo Go Juiceto critical acclaim. It went on to earn him his first GRAMMY. Later on hepartnered with guitarist John Scofield for a number of tours worldwide. Cleary also appeared in Martin Scorcese’sdocumentary “Red, White & Blue”, accompanying Jeff Beck, Tom Jones and Van Morrison at Abbey Road Studios inLondon

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