Jon Cleary

No one knows the music of the legendary Southern pianists better than British multi-instrumentalist Jon Cleary. He's a dab hand at transforming tradition into the totally new. Jon scored a Grammy win in 2016 with his band The Absolute Monster Gentlemen and tours the world with the likes of Taj Mahal and Dr. John. His collaboration portfolio includes such illustrious names as Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Eric Burdon. This artist's southern fairytale began in a small town south of London called Cranbrook. As a teenager, Jon discovered that his three favorite songs were dedicated to the pianist Allen Toussaint. Shortly afterwards, Jon's uncle returned from the southern states with a suitcase rammed full of records – and Jon Cleary never saw England again.