Latest News

Next gig for the Quartet with Elizabeth Bustard on sax

St Nicholas Church is in the centre of Brighton in Church Street, Brighton BN1 3lJ

Past gigs 

Gig at the Bricklayers Arms Crowborough

Sunday 24 August   14.00- 16.00hrs

The Trio are joined by the brilliant young singer, Maddie Davis at this event to raise funds for Crowborough First Responders.

Join us for great music, food and company in Crowborough's centre of live music in the Bricklayer's Arms.

Bricklayers Arms Crowborough

Maddie Davis on stage with the Brighton Big Band in 2024

August 2024 Gig

JLT with Maddy Davies at Crowborough First Responders Fundraising Event 

Sunday 21 July 2024

The John Lake Trio are joined by the fabulous Brighton based singer, Maddy Davies for a jazz concert to raise money for this important charity based in Crowborough.

Maddy will be singing a host of great swing and latin numbers from the Great American Songbook accompanied by the trio - John Lake on piano, Matt Casterton on bass and Simon Cambers on drums.

Enjoy a stunning garden with amazing views to the South Downs. Bring a picnic blanket or chair to sit down and enjoy the music, food & drink and views. There will be a licensed bar, hot drinks and sweets like cakes and ice-cream plus a fundraising tombola.

All proceeds from tickets go towards providing and maintaining Public Access Defibrillators in the community.
Tickets: Adults £15, Children (Under 8's) £18 & a Family (2 adults and 2 children under 14) £40
https://crowborough-cfr.co.uk/2014/fundraising-2/jazz-afternoon/
Car parking and toilets available on site.

Stone Cross House, Crowborough TN6 3SH
Event starts 2.00pm
Jazz music from 3.00pm
Event finishes at 6.00pm

 

JLQ at Brighton Unitarian Church

Friday 29 March 2024 from 12.30 to 13.15

JLQ (John Lake Quartet) play the music of Brubeck, Monk and Rollins. Some of the classic tunes by these jazz giants will be played alongside original tunes with similarities written by John Lake. Take Five, Blue Rondo a La Turk, Round Midnight and St. Thomas and more....

Entry by donation (suggested £5.00). 

Tea and coffee served from 12.00 midday.

New JLQ recordings and gig dates for 2024!

JLQ - (LtoR) Matt Casterton, Simon Cambers, John Lake & Elizabeth Bustard

It's been a few months since the band were on the road so we thought you'd like to see a live recording of excerpts of new original tunes we made in August 2023. We'll be on the road again performing in Crowborough and Brighton in April and back at the Unitarian Church and St Nicholas Church in Brighton in July/August but look out for more details coming up and see the gig tab list for more details. In the meantime we hope you enjoy the Showreel and look out for some full length tracks in the near future. 

Click here to view the JLQ Showreel on Youtube. Hope you enjoy and let us know what you think on the comments box.

Wednesday 16 August from 14.00 - 14.45 
St Nicholas Church Brighton

The JLQ play the modern melodic jazz music of John Lake

The band return to St Nicholas Church to play tunes written by John Lake since the Wave of Translation album in 2016. 

John Lake (piano), Elizabeth Bustard (saxes and flute), Matt Casterton (double bass) and Simon Cambers (drums).

Admission: Minimum donation of £5.00 is appreciated.

https://www.stnicholasbrighton.org.uk/community-sub-pages/lunchtime-concerts 

Wishing you all the very best for 2023

The band are in a resting period until March 2023 but we'd like to wish you all the very best for the winter festive seasons and for 2023. Gigs already in the calendar are listed below but in the meantime here is a link to a video of the Trio performing in July 2022 at St Anne's Church Lewes. We hope to see you at a gig in 2023 and do look out for a new recording by the quartet with new original tunes written by John Lake.

Forthcoming Gigs in 2023

Saturday 1 April Crowborough Con Club, UK

Tuesday 4 April U3A Jazz Appreciation Group, Uinitarian Church, Brighton, UK

Wednesday 16 August St Nicholas Church, Brighton, UK

Click for  JLT live playing Trinity

August Gig at St Nicholas Church Brighton

 The John Lake Trio with Elizabeth Bustard

We hope you can get along to our last gig of 2022 at St Nicholas Church, Brighton as the band will be playing a selection of original tunes written by John Lake  since The Wave of Translation album in 2016 and Up on the Downs (2012) including a brand new number entitled I Still Look for You written during lockdown in 2021.

The trio will be comprised of Simon Cambers on drums and Matt Casterton on double and electric bass joining John Lake on grand piano. They will be joined once again by the talented Elizabeth Bustard on tenor and alto sax.Entry is by a suggested donation to the church of £3 and the concert will be 45 minutes long. There will be light refreshments on offer and copies of the above CDs on sale at just £5 each or £8 for the two. 

St Nicholas Church is in the centre of Brighton in Church Street, Brighton BN1 3lJ

If you can't make this concert - don't worry we'll be back out playing again in 2023 with more melody filled tunes and a new album later in the year.

Gigs coming up in July 2022

We hope you can get along to one or both of these gigs which provide a different or tunes from each other but with the usual emphasis on melodic modern jazz......

Thursday 28 July 13.10 - 14.00 - St Anne's Church Lewes

The John Lake Trio will perform a programme of melodic modern jazz including material written by Michel Camilo, J.S. Bach (as played by Jacques Louissier), Chick Corea and some original compositions written by John Lake. 

John Lake (piano), Matt Casterton (double bass) and Simon Cambers (drums)

https://www.stanneslewes.org.uk/2022-lunchtime-concerts

Admission free with a retiring collection.

The John Lake Quartet plays the latin jazz music of Chick Corea

The quartet will play a selection of tunes by the late, but eternally great, Chick Corea with early pieces played by Return to Forever, such as Spain and La Fiesta, to more recent ones like Eternal Child.

John Lake (piano), Elizabeth Bustard (saxes and flute), Matt Casterton (double bass) and Simon Cambers (drums).

Wheelchair accessible venue. £5 Suggested Donation. Everyone Welcome.

https://www.brightonunitarian.org.uk/friday-lunchtime-concerts

Back on the Road Again in 2022

After many months of wintering and wood-shedding our musical skills,  the trio (and quartet with Elizabeth Bustard) are back on the road again in 2022 to bring you our unique blend of modern melodic jazz. 

You can view a complete list of gigs on the Gig List tab above but why not pop out to the historic and renowned music pub - The Six Bells in Chiddingly this month to hear the band on Sunday 20 & Sunday 27 February between 12.45 & 15.00?

There will be a broad mix of much loved standard jazz tunes, with some latin jazz by Chick Corea and Michel Camilo plus some of John Lake's originals. 

John Lake (piano & synthesizer), Elizabeth Bustard (saxes and flute), Matt Casterton (bass) and Simon Cambers (drums and percussion).

Free admission and ample parking. Lots of great ales, wine and legendary food available at the bar.

Come join us and help blow the winter blues away! 

His Spanish Heart - a tribute to Chick Corea

The John Lake Quartet feature the latin music of Chick Corea at St Nicholas Church Brighton in their first live gig for 18 months. The trio comprising John Lake on piano, Simon Cambers on drums and Matt Casterton are once again joined by Elizabeth Bustard on saxes and flute playing some of the best known Chick Corea latin-infused tunes.

Photo Courtesy Ice Boy Tell 2019

Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea 

(June 12,   1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" and "Windows" are widely considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis's band in the late 1960s, he participated in the birth of jazz fusion. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever. Along with McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, and Keith Jarrett, Corea is considered one of the foremost jazz pianists of the post-John Coltrane era. He won 25 Grammy Awards and was nominated over 60 times. 

Source Wikipedia

The concert will be at St Nicholas Church, Dyke Road, Brighton on Wednesday 25 August at 2.00pm. Admission is by donation suggested at £3.00. Tea, coffee and cake will be available in the church. The concert finishes at 2.45pm. https://www.stnicholasbrighton.org.uk/community-sub-pages/lunchtime-concerts

John Lake Trio - Wishes All Our Followers Good Health and Safety

At this difficult time for all the world the

Trio are taking an enforced rest from live gigs but we hope you will continue to follow our blog and listen to our music online when you are in need of some entertaining.

Here are a few links to some recent live recordings which have featured the trio playing with Elizabeth Bustard on sax. We will be postings some more live coverage on Youtube in the next few weeks and hope that you will be find that of some diversion until we are back out on the gig circuit and playing live once again.

Keep safe and we wish you the best of health.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PBwy8un8BfU

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rgYYtUOC1y4

Next gig at The Brunswick - Sunday 8 March 2020

The John Lake Trio are joined by Elizabeth Bustard on sax to play The Brunswick in Hove on Sunday 8 March.


Doors open at 7.00pm and the concert of original jazz fusion will be added to with some high energy jazz from the songbooks of Chick Corea, Michel Camilo, Michael Jackson and Don Fagen.

Elizabeth Bustard

Tickets are available in advance from The Brunswick site online at £5/£4 and on the night on the door at £6/£5/. The concert starts at 7.30pm.

The John Lake Trio were established in 2012 and the personnel are John Lake on keyboards, Matt Casterton on electric bass and Simon Cambers on drums. They play original jazz fusion with strong latin jazz and polyrythmic influences. With Elizabeth Bustard on sax they extend the dynamic and melodic content of the music with her unique style of expression.

The Brunswick, 1-3 Holland Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 1JF

01273 733984

venue@brunswickpub.co.uk

John Lake Trio new Camilo Concert video

We are delighted to share this beautifully edited video with you - enjoy!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23Qbe3fACk8

John Lake Trio at The Depot in Lewes

Sunday 9 February 2020 

Sunday coffee and cake or brunch come lunch. Whichever you choose to take in this excellent eatery, the band will supply it's unique mixture of modern jazz standards (and some not so standard), plus some original tunes and a few rock tunes re-vamped into a jazz style, to accompany it.

John Lake on piano, Simon Cambers on drums and Matt Casterton on double bass.

Free entrance with no cover charge.

Music starts at 11.00 and finishes at 13.00.

John Lake Trio with Elizabeth Bustard - Live at the Brunswick, Hove on 28 November 2019

Here's a sample of the band at the first full performance of new material as a quartet featuring Elizabeth Bustard on saxes, Matt Casterton on bass and Simon Cambers on drums. The track is a piece written by John Lake in 2017 entitled "Straw Dancing" and can be viewed on Youtube via this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTgKG4yjHPM

JLT at the Brunswick Pub with Elizabeth Bustard

Thursday 28 November 2019 at 19.30

Elizabeth Bustard

Simon Cambers John Lake Matt Casterton

Following on from the successful gig at the Constant Service pub in Brighton recently, the trio will be playing again with local tenor sax player Elizabeth Bustard presenting an evening of jazz funk fusion of new original tunes written by John Lake, a few tunes from previous albums Wave of Translation and Up on the Downs alongside some covers of music by the jazz genius, Chick Corea.

Come along and join the party, this will be an electric performance in every way!

Tickets £4.90 available in advance from Eventbrite and £6.00/£5.00 on the door.

http://www.thebrunswick.net

 

Constant Service Gig - Join the party tonight and The Grand Hotel Brighton Tomorrow

John Lake Trio and Friends

Friday 25 October 8.30pm - 11.00pm The Constant Service Pub Brighton

An evening of full-on modern latin jazz and jazz-funk with the trio playing music by Michel Camilo, Chick Corea and original music by John Lake with Simon Cambers on drums, Matt Casterton on bass and joined by the fantastic talents of tenor saxophonist Elizabeth Bustard, trombonist Sam Dorrell and the superb vocalist Jackie Sampson.

Come and join the party. Free entrance!

https://www.facebook.com/search/places/?q=constant%20service%20pub&epa=SERP_TAB

Next Brighton Grand Hotel Gig

Saturday 26 October 2019 at 7.00pm

Great to be back at the Grand Hotel where the atmosphere is so smart and the cocktails and service first class. Come join the trio (John Lake on piano, Simon Cambers on drums and Matt Casterton on bass) plus Jackie Sampson on vocals as a special guest for this event. Expect contemporary piano trio and vocal jazz music from the American songbook, a few originals and some pop and rock tunes re-imagined into a jazz style. No cover charge.
https://www.grandbrighton.co.uk/

Next Gig with Jackie Sampson at The Depot in Lewes

Sunday 20 October - The Depot Lewes at 11.00am

Jackie Sampson sings the songs of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. Accompanied by John Lake on piano. Brunch is served in the cafe and the performance will be between 11.00am and 1.00pm.

https://lewesdepot.org/whats-on/live-music

Jackie Sampson sings regularly in jazz and latin bands in London and the South East having established a career as an international backing vocalist.

John Lake leads a band which is resident at the Grand Hotel in Brighton and plays a mixture of melodic modern jazz including jazz standards, originals and re-imagined pop tunes.

He also runs the Brighton Big Band.

Review of Michel Camilo Concert at St Nicholas Church Brighton

The gig attracted a good sized and appreciative audience on 25 July and one unexpected and pleasant outcome was a review from Simon Jenner of the Fringe Review on a link below plus some photos of the gig. http://fringereview.co.uk/review/brighton-year-round/2019/john-lake-trio

John Lake

Matt Casterton

Simon Cambers

JLT Plays the Music of Michel Camilo

Don't miss out on the return of this project launched in 2018 with the trio playing the incredible latin jazz music of one of the giants of contemporary jazz, Michel Camilo.


There are two performances in 2019 in the calendar.

Friday 26 July at the Unitarian Church 

New Road , Brighton, BN1 1UF at 12.30pm. Entrance £4.00.

Wednesday 7 August at St Nicholas Church

 Church Street, Brighton BN1 3LJ. 12.30pm. Retiring Collection.

Michel Camilo is a legend in his own lifetime as a master of latin jazz piano and his compositions and re-styling of latin jazz standards are now classics of the style.

This concert will be an ambitious exploration of some of Camilo’s earlier compositions which established him as an international artist including “And Sammy Walked In”, “Tropical Jam” and “One More Once”, combined with some of his interpretations of classic latin pieces such as “Poinciana”, Chick Corea’s “Armanda's Rumba” and Kenny Dorham's "Blue Bossa"

The set will provide a contrast of lively latin rhythms with highly melodic and sentimental ballads such as “Remembrance”. Grand piano played by John Lake with Simon Cambers on drums and Matt Casterton on bass.

JLT at the Grand Hotel Brighton Friday 5 July 2019

Gig at the Victoria Bar, Grand Hotel 

Back at the Grand this week playing modern melodic jazz standards, originals and pop songs reworked in a jazz standards. The trio will be John Lake on the house Bluthner grand piano, Matt Casterton on bass and Simon Cambers on drums.

The Victoria Bar is Brighton's most luxurious lounge bar which is ticket free open to all and serves some of the best cocktails (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) in Brighton as well as great wines, spirits and beers and a service at the highest level. 

Join us from 7.00pm until 10.30pm to make the weekend start with a fizz.

Jazz and cocktails

Saturday 25 May 2019 in the Victoria Lounge Grand Hotel Brighton

Jazz, cocktails in Brighton’s most elegant and well stocked bar. Treat yourself this Bank Holiday weekend.

From 19.00 - 22.30

Jackie Sampson guests with the John Lake Trio singing classics from the Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan songbook. John Lake on the house Bluthner grand piano and Dave Beebee on acoustic bass.

Entrance free of cover charge.

Jazz on the Lawn at Kingscote Estate

In celebration of English Wine Week, Kingscote Estate invites you to join us for a summer's evening of wine, food and music.

About this Event

Join us on Friday 31 May 2019 to celebrate all that is great about English wine and jazz at Kingscote Estate near East Grinstead.

The evening will include a live performance by The John Lake Trio, a complimentary glass of the vineyard's West Sussex wine and plenty of food (and more wine, of course) for sale.  With all of that you have the recipe for a perfect summer's evening in the perfect location - surrounded by stunning English vines and a fantastic jazz band. Could there be a better way to welcome the English Summertime?

What if the Good Old English Weather Brings us Rain?

Luckily for us, we have the luxury of a beautiful 15th Century Tithe barn - if the rain comes out, we simply go in!

Time: Friday 31 May 2019 18:00 - 21:00

Tickets £15 from Eventbrite 

Venue: Kingscote Estate, Vowels Lane, East Grinstead RH19 4LG

Jacques Loussier Concert in Memoriam - Sunday 28 April 2019

Jacques Loussier died in March 2019 at the age of 84 leaving behind a legacy of jazz music inspired by his classical musical education. Most notably the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.

The John Lake Trio will be re-creating a number of Loussier's jazz interpretations of some of Bach's best know piano works in a concert at St Andrew's Church Alfriston on Sunday 28 April 2019 at 3.00pm. Entrance Free.

John Lake will play the Church's beautiful Venables Grand Piano, accompanied by Matt Casterton on double bass and Simon Cambers on drums. The one hour concert will be followed by refreshments in the church. A retiring collection will be made towards the Church restoration funds.

Great to be back at the Grand Hotel in Brighton in 2019

Gigs at the Grand in 2019

After 3 months break its great to be back at Brighton's classiest bar with the trio in full swing and the bar serving the best cocktails in the city. Come join us - no cover charge but the music will be fully charged! John Lake on grand piano, Simon Cambers on drums and Matt Casterton on bass. 

19.00 - 22.30

Saturday 9 March

Saturday 23 March

Friday 26 April

Saturday 11 May

Saturday 25 May

Saturday 8 June

Friday 21 June