John was raised in Pleasanton, California. At age 10, John saw a big-band format jazz ensemble and wanted to learn how to play “the one in front”. With a beginner’s horn and CDs of Charlie Parker and Cannonball Adderly he was able to find at the public library, John started learning saxophone technique and jazz language, and took lessons from local legend Daniel Zinn. Motivated by the local Bay Area scene, John pursued art as a saxophonist and composer in his teen years, appearing at cafes, bars, and even showcase venues such as California Jazz Conservatory (then the Berkeley Jazz School).
John landed in local and national all-star high school jazz ensembles, including the SF Jazz High School All-Stars, the California All-State Jazz Band, the GRAMMY High School Jazz All Stars, the Monterey Jazz Festival Next Generation All-Stars, and the Jazz Band of America. With these bands, John had life-changing opportunities to share the stage with Wynton Marsalis, James Moody, Miguel Zenon, Phil Woods, McCoy Tyner, Dianne Reeves, and other living masters who passed down their sonic and spiritual wisdom to the students. John also won DOWNBEAT Magazine high school student music awards for his compositions and for recorded performances by various high school student groups.
John’s senior-year Jazz Band of America ensemble was led by the illustrious Shelly Berg, who afterward offered him a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Miami Frost School of Music, a conservatory with a long history of excellence in modern studio music. There, John quickly rose to play in UM’s world-famous Concert Jazz Band, which learned new sets of music every week for events ranging from yacht parties to downtown Miami showcases. With the CJB, John recorded a full-length album called “An Evening With Dave Grusin” live at Miami's Arsht Center, composed and directed by legendary pianist Dave Grusin, which went on to be nominated for a GRAMMY Award in 2011.
At UM, John pursued a tandem passion in mathematics, and after college moved to North Carolina to work on doctoral research in statistics and computer science, eventually earning a PhD. During those years, John appeared on the Durham/Raleigh music scene playing with Al Strong and Ernest Turner, with the Revive Big Band, and with members of ZooCru, the Christian Scott band, and the Kenneth Whalum band.
In 2017 John moved back to the SF Bay Area, where he now lives and is among the top-performing saxophone players on the scene. As a solely-alto saxophonist who often feeds his sound through guitar pedals, John brings a unique force to every stage with searing melodies and gripping rhythmic patterns. John's main project is BIG TRIPPIN, a progressive hip-hop and fusion group led by Thomas Pridgen (Residente, formerly The Mars Volta and Thundercat) and Giulio Cetto, featuring Javier Santiago on keyboards as well as various MCs from the area including Won Way Posibul and KOOL A.D. John has been called to play locally with many touring acts including Dwele, Fred Yonnet, Lyrics Born, Jonathan Hoard, Kassa Overall, and Benito Gonzalez. John is also a composer, and has brought his own project to Bay Area music venues such as Mr. Tipple's, The Deluxe, Boom Boom Room, and Cafe Stritch (rest in peace).