Imagination singer and songwriter will perform at the Cabot Place venue with his jazz quartet to mark 20 years since the album’s release
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The ultimate judge of vibe in Leee John’s home is not, apparently, Leee John.
The actor, singer, songwriter and wearer of stylish hats pops up from his chair just before our interview begins in earnest to sort out Skippy, his cat.
“He jumps all over the place and he’s very inquisitive, especially with people,” said Leee.
“He’s a great judge of vibe. Animals are like that, I’ve always had them, since I was a kid.”
Born in Hackney, the performer began his own career as a child after moving to the US with his father and signing to Worldwide Records aged 11 after a successful audition.
He went on to lend his voice to the likes of The Delfonics, the Chairmen Of The Board and The Velvettes, eventually moving back to the UK as a teenager.
It was there he formed soul band Imagination – named for John Lennon’s song Imagine – with Ashley Ingram and Errol Kennedy.
Together they scored hits in 28 countries, earning four platinum discs, nine gold discs and dozens of silver discs between 1981 and 1983.
“I’d done a lot before Imagination – I’d been an actor, performed in different shows and worked as a waiter – I was learning my craft,” said Leee.
“There was a lot of preparation before I became successful and, when it was time to go on tour, I was ready.
“I knew lighting, sound, costumes – we had the look and we fitted in.”
Leee John and Imagination
The band put in the hard yards, visiting France, Belgium, Italy, Canada and the USA to promote and spread their music – an effort that’s stood Leee in good stead as his multifaceted career has progressed.
He saw a resurgence in popularity in the UK following his time on TV show Reborn In The USA with the likes of Tony Hadley, Dollar, Sonia and Gina G.
But in reality, Leee has continued to play shows internationally and in Britain as well as act and record during a remarkably varied stint in show business.
This has included sounds as diverse as a turn as the spirit of an abused ocean on Gorillaz’ The Lost Chord, made during lockdown in 2020 and, of course, Leee’s jazz album Feel My Soul.
It’s this record that will take centre stage as Leee and his jazz quartet celebrate its 20th anniversary with an intimate evening of music at Boisdale Of Canary Wharf on Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
recording Feel My Soul
“I’d done Reborn earlier that year and there’s a place called the Alhambra Studios in Rochefort where they said I should feel free to record whatever I wanted,” said Leee.
“I knew I wanted to do a jazz album and I did a dummy run, but didn’t think I was ready emotionally or vocally – I didn’t have the empathy at that time.
“I needed to do the research, so I went back in time to things I knew already like Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Satchmo, Birdland, Chet Baker and Miles Davis – who I actually met at Sadler’s Wells.
“In the end I threw all the research out of the window.
“I had John Watson, a wonderful pianist, with me and we arranged a few songs with a hip-hop flavour, but we wanted to give them a bit of jazz fusion so I took musicians from the Paris Jazz Orchestra with me and we went to Rochefort.
“I didn’t know what I was letting myself in for – a jump into the ocean – but it turned out to be a life-changing experience.
“It was partly about everything I’d learnt – I threw all of me into the sound.”
Leee John at Boisdale
Billed as a “coming-of-age” record for Leee, Feel My Soul features a selection of classic jazz standards with modern arrangements alongside original songs penned and produced by the vocalist.
The album features the talents of Stephane Huchard on drums, Stephane Kerechi on bass, Noel Godard on percussion and Dave Mansell on brass as well as Watson on keyboards.
Since recording the record, Leee has performed sporadically with his jazz quartet, in addition to shows featuring Imagination’s output and other work.
“Last Sunday, I was in Avignon, playing to an arena, so I’ll be going from that to performing at Boisdale,” he said.
“Having the jazz quartet gives me diversity in my audience.
“I love the room at Boisdale – it’s very intimate and you can get so close to the audience. That’s perfect for me.
“There are moments when I’ll come down from the stage and sing right to them.
“It’s a very charming place, very elegant, very classy.
“I want everybody who comes to the show to dress their best – jazzy, sexy, funky. I want them to make the effort.
“They’re going to be able to enjoy a wonderful DJ set from Calvin Francis of Mi-Soul Radio– he’ll be playing some cool tunes.
“Then it’s my turn. This is different to the Imagination shows.
“When I performed in Germany, I was a dot on the map in front of thousands of people.
“This is a completely different version of me and a lot of fans actually prefer the jazz shows for that reason.
“I’ll sing songs like Strange Fruit, which has a historical context, or The Thin Line, where I present different emotions when performing them.
“It gives me a chance to give something back to the audiences who have continued to support me.”
As for Leee, there’s plenty more in the pipeline including an EP featuring vocalist Elaine Delmar and a track with “an American artist” whose identity remains under wraps for the moment.
Find our more on Leee’s website here
key details: Leee John at Boisdale Of Canary Wharf
An Intimate Evening With Leee John Jazz Quartet is set to take place at Boisdale Of Canary Wharf on Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
Table reservations are available from 6pm with live music from 8.30pm.
Tickets for the show start at £25, £49 including £30 food credit or £79 including a three-course dinner.
VIP and meet-and-greet packages are also available.
Find out more about the gig an book tickets here
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