GRAMMY®-nominated saxophonist, bandleader and Managing and Co-Artistic Director of Jazz Lives Philadelphia, Joshua Lee is fully dedicated to the advancement of the Philadelphia jazz community. The Philadelphia native graduated from Temple University in 2016 and 2019 with bachelor's and master's degrees in jazz performance. He has had the fortune of mentorship from musicians like Dick Oatts, Terell Stafford, Tim Warfield, Barry Harris, Jason Marshall and Gary Smulyan on both the Philadelphia and New York scenes.

As a result, Lee joined the Legendary Count Basie Orchestra in June of 2018 and performs with them around the world while also serving as a regular substitute with the likes of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Sun Ra Arkestra, the Mingus Big Band, Delfeayo Marsalis’ Uptown Jazz Orchestra and Terell Stafford’s Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia. He is also a member of the Abdullah Ibrahim and Ekaya, the Eyal Vilner Jazz Orchestra, Igmar Thomas and the Revive Bigband, Chelsea Reed and the Fairweather Nine, and Danny Jonokuchi and the Revisionists.

Lee joined the jazz faculty at Temple University in the fall of 2019 and was awarded as one of Temple University’s 30 Under 30 in 2020. He became an on-air radio host at Philadelphia’s WRTI in 2021 and joined the faculty at Villanova teaching jazz history in the fall of 2023. He leads his own band, The Extended Family, that is dedicated to performing the swing era music of Count Basie, Jimmie Lunceford, Fletcher Henderson and more.

Lee is a P. Mauriat artist and plays on the 302 baritone saxophone.