A respected session and sideman, British blues pianist and composer Jon Cleary has worked with rock, blues, and soul artists like Bonnie Raitt, D’Angelo, Maria Muldaur, Taj Mahal, and Eric Clapton.

Originally a guitarist, Cleary began playing at age five, and started his first band at 15. Raised on blues, jazz, and soul records, his love of New Orleans blues and jazz in particular took him across the ocean after he graduated from art school. Upon arriving in New Orleans, Cleary started hanging out at one of the city’s most storied venues — the Maple Leaf Club. The bar’s owner offered him a job painting the Maple Leaf’s exterior; free admission and beer were Cleary’s wages. He soaked up the bar’s atmosphere, realizing that blues piano was his calling.

Compositions by Cleary have been recorded by notable musicians including Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt and most recently John Scofield on his album Piety Street. Cleary's current band is Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, who have released two albums. Their album Go Go Juice won the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album in 2016.