Born: December 2, 1941
Calgary AB
Current home: Edmonton AB

Son of tenor saxophonist and bandleader Paul Perry (originally Guloien), in whose dance band he played at 14, PJ (Paul John) for several years spent summers playing at Sylvan Lake, and winters working at such Vancouver nightclubs as the Cave (with Chris Gage, trombonist Dave Robbins, Fraser MacPherson, and Bobby Hales) and the Cellar. He moved to Toronto in 1959 where he played with Ron Collier, Sonny Greenwich, and others. In 1962 he played in Montreal with Maury Kaye. He lived and played in Europe in 1963-66 after which he returned to Vancouver and was a member of Pacific Salt from 1972-75.

In Edmonton since 1975, he's played with Tommy Banks' groups, with his own group, and with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. He was in Europe in 1979 as part of a Radio Canada International-sponsored tour. He lived again in Toronto from 1981-84, and appeared with the Boss Brass, Dizzy Gillespie, Slide Hampton, Woody Shaw, Herb Spanier, and others.

Returning to Edmonton, he re-joined the Banks' big band and the Edmonton SO, performed extensively in duo with pianists (Banks, Bill Emes, and others) and made regular appearances in clubs in Calgary and Vancouver. In 1990 he toured western Canadian with a quartet including Ron Johnston, Jerry Fuller and Torben Oxbol.

P J Perry remains, after 4 decades, one of Canada's pre-eminent exponents of the bop idiom.

My Ideal
With Mulgrew Miller, Neil Swainson, & Victor Lewis

Also, albums with the 'All Star Jazz Sextet' (RCI 503 G/H), Tommy Banks' big band at Montreux, Salome Bey, Andy Cree (The Andy Cree Quintet, 1989, [no label] WRC1-6272), Hugh Fraser (VEJI Now!), 'Big' Miller, Pacific Salt, and trombonist Curt Watts (CBC LM-425)