Jun Iida fell in love with music at a very young age. His mother, a semi-professional koto player, suffused their home with all manner of sounds, from Western classical music to Japanese folk songs.

Iida spent his formative years in St. Louis, Missouri, before moving to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at age 10 — both cities are steeped in a rich history of jazz, R&B, and blues. This exposure to a varied mix of musical styles helped Iida develop a deep affinity for blues, jazz, and improvisatory music. Iida recalls asking his parents for two CDs when he was young, Louis Armstrong’s Hello, Dolly! and Ken Burns Jazz: Duke Ellington, the influences of which can still be heard in his music today.

Iida took up the trumpet at age nine and eventually honed his musical chops at both Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Music, before establishing his own sextet in Los Angeles in 2015. He gigged at many notable jazz clubs, theaters, and festivals, both as the leader of his sextet and as a sideman, before moving to the Pacific Northwest.

Iida’s group, play a unique blend of classic jazz standards, his own compositions, and less conventional fare, creating a sound that is rooted in tradition but unafraid to stretch and blend those traditions in unique ways.

“I always like to include jazz standards, or music from the lineage of Black American Music. This is not only because I love and enjoy these tunes, but also to pay homage and respect to the legacy of this art form, which has so greatly affected my own music today,” he said. “Additionally, I am a firm believer that every individual’s musicality is formed by their unique experiences.”

One can hear Iida’s effervescent approach to improvisation in his casually cool and fluid playing style, landing somewhere between Miles Davis’ post-bop period and Chet Baker’s languid Southern California convertible ride breeziness. When supported by a group of like-minded and skilled colleagues, as with his sextet, the results are electrifying.

Iida’s debut album, Evergreen, was released in January to rave reviews. It includes his own compositions, as well as some jazz standards and arrangements of popular songs.

Playing with Jun is Giulio Xavier Cetto (bass), Martin Budde (guitar), Dylan Hayes (keys) and Xavier LeCouturier (drums)

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