Born in the nation's capital, Washington D.C., John Blair began his musical studies at age ten. His musical beginnings were rather modest. After discovering an abandoned trombone in the family's hall closet, he began taking trombone lessons. Proficiency on the instrument came quickly and he was also an accomplished self-taught pianist by age fourteen. From the earliest years composition and improvisation were always important parts of his musical expression. He especially enjoyed experimenting with assigned music exercises, changing notes and rhythms to his tastes, much to the chagrin of various teachers. In time, he began to transcribe music from the radio and from CDs and would spend hours writing out parts from various big band recordings.

John pursued his formal compositional training while working as a freelance studio musician and arranger throughout the United States. Composition teachers included, Donald Erb in Cleveland, Chen Yi, James Mobberley and Zhou Long in Kansas City. Upon completing a Master's in Composition and private composition studies with Donald Erb, John served on the faculties of Montgomery College and Sam Houston State University in Houston, Texas. He implemented the Jazz Studies program at Montgomery College where he also taught ear-training, music theory, Jazz improvisation and composition. At SHSU he served as assistant director of the Jazz Ensemble and taught music theory and ear-training.

John has always been fascinated with the role improvisation plays in the jazz idiom and strives to integrate elements of improvisation in his own concert works. He continues to be active as a performer and was invited to perform at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in 2000 on both trombone and piano.

His composition Parallax for solo piano was recently released on Capstone records and has received numerous public performances. His composition Adagio for Clarinet was premiered at the International Clarinet Symposium in May of 2003 and continues to enjoy multiple public performances. John is currently completing his Doctoral dissertation in composition at the Conservatory at the University of Missouri at Kansas City.

In September 2005 Mr. Blair was invited by acclaimed composer and pianist Yehudi Wyner to work as an associate artist at the Atlantic Center for the Arts.

While in Florida he gave a lecture/presentation of his music at Stetson University. His composition Cosmic Residue was presented at the International Jazz Composers' Symposium at the University of South Florida, March 2006.

He was recently invited to participate as a composer fellow at the Second Annual John Duffy Composers' Institute at the Virginia Arts Festival (May 2006). At the institute composer fellows will be working with Pulitzer prize winning composer William Bolcom, Tony award winning composer/lyricist Sheldon Harnick and world renowned stage director Rhoda Levine.

Mr. Blair currently resides and works in New York City. This recent move was due to an invitation by noted jazz pianist and composer Jim McNeely to participate in the BMI Jazz Composers' Workshop 2005-2006.