Jun Iida

Award winning trumpeter, composer, and educator Jun Iida is known for his dynamic and versatile contributions to the jazz and contemporary music scenes. With an impressive array of performances at renowned venues and festivals across the world, Iida has built a reputation as a skilled performer and a dedicated educator.

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri as the son of Japanese immigrants, Iida was immersed in a broad range of musical influences during his upbringing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Iida’s musical journey has taken him from Los Angeles to Seattle, and he is currently an active figure in the New York music scene. His performance credits include Jazz at Lincoln Center (Shanghai), Pit Inn (Tokyo), 100BAN Hall (Kobe), Smalls Jazz Club, Nublu, and Soapbox Gallery (NYC), as well as a number of prestigious venues in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, such as Sam First, Blue Whale, The Baked Potato, Gold Diggers, SFJazz, Black Cat, Benaroya Hall, and The Triple Door. He has also performed internationally, with notable tours in Canada, the US, and China.

As a bandleader, Iida leads the Jun Iida Group (Los Angeles/NYC), and has been a part of successful ensembles such as FADE Quintet (Seattle), Salt Petal (Los Angeles) and Todo Mundo/WITHIN (San Diego). He has performed at renowned festivals including SXSW, PDX Jazz Fest, and Earshot Jazz Festival. Over the years, he has shared the stage with a range of acclaimed musicians, including Deltron 3030, Mike Phillips, Takuya Kuroda, Anat Cohen, and Skerik.

Iida’s musical talents extend beyond performance into composition and education. He regularly teaches private trumpet lessons and has conducted clinics and masterclasses at schools and events throughout the West Coast and New York, including those supporting the prestigious Essentially Ellington competition. Additionally, he curates projects and events that celebrate and promote the intersection of music and culture. His notable curation work includes Hai! Japantown, a series showcasing AANHPI artists in Seattle, and Sake x Jazz Presents, a collaboration combining jazz music and sake culture.

A recipient of multiple awards and grants, Iida’s artistry has been recognized by the greater music community, earning him several Golden Ear Awards nominations and a spot on the 2025 Jack Straw Artist Support Program. His debut album as a leader, Evergreen (OA2 Records), was released in January 2024 to great acclaim, showcasing his evolving voice as a composer and performer.

Fluent in both English and Japanese with strong connections to both Japanese and American cultures, Iida continues to push the boundaries of jazz performance and education, fostering a deeper appreciation for the genre while engaging with diverse audiences worldwide.

Jun Iida: Evergreen

by Gary Fukushima
January 5, 2024

They are everywhere, dotting the undulating terrain of the great Pacific Northwest, from the winding, twisting shorelines of Puget Sound to the mountains that rise in the distance in every direction: the Olympics to the west, the Cascades to the east, Mt. Baker to the north and the majestic Rainier to the south. The trees are a constant, comforting blanket over this land, ever-present, ever-green. Jun lida has called this place home for the past three years, another ...

Album Review

Jun Iida: Evergreen

Read "Evergreen" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello

by Nicholas F. Mondello
January 4, 2024

Evergreen from trumpeter/flugelhornist Jun Iida is a textural panorama of multi-cultural jazz flavors, offering original and known fare. Each of the ten tracks is a portrait, and they display fine solo and ensemble playing. To describe Evergreen in one word is to call it “intriguing." “Gooey Butter Cake," one of six originals from Iida, opens things in a jovial, hippity-hop, jny: New Orleans-esque groove which develops into a trumpet-bass solo ride, with solos following from pianist Josh Nelson ...

“Iida has a mellow tone and a relaxed style […] his wide interests in music and versatility are on display." (Downbeat Magazine)

“Iida's trumpet delivers a lush, mellow tone. His improvisations are thoughtfully presented, surprisingly inventive, and highly inflected with ornamentations, both classic jazz and Japanese-inflected elements. He swings in a style which is totally unique [...] colorful and, at times, enchanting, stimulating both ear and mind.” (All About Jazz)

“All compositions are reflective of both his Japanese heritage and his command and fluency in jazz composition and stylings, the two worlds being complementary and mutually enriching." (London Jazz News)