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Leslie Pintchik
Before embarking on her musical career, NYC based jazz pianist and composer Leslie Pintchik taught English literature (as a teaching assistant) at Columbia University, where she also received her Master of Philosophy degree in seventeenth-century English literature. While in graduate school, she decided to change course in an effort to give music a larger place in her life. After some years of study, jam sessions and local restaurant gigs, Leslie surfaced on the Manhattan scene in a trio with legendary bassist Red Mitchell at Bradley's. Red chose Leslie (along with guitarist Scott Hardy) for the warmth and powerful interplay he heard in their music, after hearing a tape of them playing together as a duo. Red Mitchell wrote "Leslie Pintchik and Scott Hardy play miraculous music - in tune in all ways. And you can quote me on that."
In 1992, Leslie formed her own trio with her musical partner Scott Hardy (now playing bass instead of guitar) and with drummers Keith Copeland, Rich DeRosa and most notably, the percussionist Satoshi Takeishi, and the drummer Mark Dodge, with whom they have worked and toured since 1998. The trio has performed primarily in Manhattan at jazz venues that include Sweet Rhythm (formerly Sweet Basil), Knickerbocker, the Blue Note, 55 Bar, the Kitano, Zinno, Kavehaz, Watercolor Café, Sofia's and the Bottom Line. The group was one of four finalists in the 1995 Cognac Hennessy Jazz Search; subsequently, they shared a double bill with the Jay Leonhart trio at the Blue Note, and were the featured performers at the opening night gala of the 1996 Shandelee Music Festival. Bassist Scott Hardy presented the trio at the 1997 International Society of Bassists Convention held at Rice University in Houston.
In a review of their performance at the Canadian Jazz Expo in Toronto, Doug Watson of Jazz.FM91 wrote that he "found the group's playing to be the most musically satisfying listening experience heard there. All the essential elements were in place - well-constructed originals, great improvising and what really set this group apart from everything else I heard that weekend was its solid sense of swing!" About their demo recording Completely with Mark Dodge (which featured Leslie and Scott's original compositions), Jim Hall said, "I love the CD. The very first sound kept my attention All the Way. I loved the tunes and I loved the playing."
Leslie, with Scott and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi, released her debut CD entitled So Glad to Be Here on Ambient Records in June 2004. In his review in the Audiofiles column in the September '05 issue of Downbeat magazine, Ken Micallef writes "... Pintchik's music is fresh, full of light and instantly invigorating.... So Glad To Be Here is simply a joyous release.... Pintchik and Takeishi express such playfulness in their musical conversations... that their elation is contagious."
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Leslie Pintchik: Prayer For What Remains
by Jack Bowers
Pianist and composer Leslie Pintchik abandoned a promising career as an educator at New York's Columbia University in favor of writing and playing piano full-time. What has become clear since then, and especially on her eighth album, Prayer for What Remains, is that academia's loss is beyond any doubt the jazz world's gain. Pintchik leads her working trio here, with guest appearances by the esteemed soprano saxophonist Steve Wilson on two numbers and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi on ...
Continue ReadingLeslie Pintchik, Rich Halley, and Ryan Keberle
by Jerome Wilson
This show features a wide variety of musicians, including Leslie Pintchik, Owen Broder, Rich Halley, Geof Bradfield, Ryan Keberle and Alice Coltrane.Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett “I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (Mosaic) 00:00 Conrad Herwig “Mellow Minor" from The Latin Side of McCoy Tyner (Savant) 1:17 Geof Bradfield “United" from Colossal Abundance (Calligram) 6:45 Host Speaks 14:19 Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom “Speak Eddie" from ...
Continue ReadingSome Overlooked 2024 Releases
by Jerome Wilson
Here are reviews of some of the many worthwhile jazz albums that came out in the latter half of 2024. Leslie Pintchik Prayer For What Remains Pintch Hard Records 2024 The latest album by pianist Leslie Pintchik has a gentle, swinging calm to it. She maintains a lively rapport with bassist Scott Hardy and drummer Michael Sarin} as they work through the gentle push of “Later Than We Thought" ...
Continue ReadingLeslie Pintchik: Prayer For What Remains
by Dan McClenaghan
As a doctoral candidate at Columbia University studying 17th-century English literature and working as a teaching assistant, Leslie Pintchik could have moved into a life of academia. But, an old story: jazz called. She wanted a music career. A clear-eyed financial advisor might have tried to dissuade her, pointing out the problems and pitfalls of making a living in jazz. She probably would not have listened. In 2024, with eight fine albums under her belt, she offers up number nine, ...
Continue ReadingLeslie Pintchik: You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl!
by Angelo Leonardi
Anche in quest'album la sensibile pianista e compositrice di New York, ripropone l'organico degli ultimi due dischi con l'aggiunta del fisarmonicista Shoko Nagai. E nuovamente si rinnova la fragranza delle sue composizioni, dove la tensione jazzistica si alimenta di suggestioni latine o lascia spazio a intime melodie. Dopo essersi esibita professionalmente per un ventennio senza incidere nulla, dal 2004 a oggi Leslie Pintchik ha registrato sette album, presentando proprie composizioni accanto ai classici del songbook statunitense. Qui la ...
Continue ReadingLeslie Pintchik: You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl!
by Jerome Wilson
On this, her sixth album, pianist Leslie Pintchik shows that she can compose distinctive melodies. All of the original compositions she does on this CD are bright and memorable and even the two standards she covers are given surprising arrangements.She establishes herself from the beginning with the uniquely-titled “You Eat My Food." This turns out to be a nice piece of surging jazz-funk in the manner of early Herbie Hancock with a serpentine piano line and pithy accents ...
Continue ReadingLeslie Pintchik: You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl!
by Dan Bilawsky
If they gave out awards for album titles, this one would surely be in the running for top honors. “You eat my food, you drink my wine, you steal my girl" is a harsh and odd phrase that rolls off the tongue like some sort of backwoods country accusation-turned-lament, but its origins are far more urban in nature. While crossing a street in lower Manhattan, pianist Leslie Pintchik heard a nearby voice yell said curious and angry statement. Not one ...
Continue ReadingAll About Jazz Top 10 Tracks: March 2018
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All About Jazz
All About Jazz features a free song every day spanning all genres of jazz, and of the 30 tracks featured in March, these ten represent our personal favorites. We also included the top ten reader favorites as indicated by total. Musicians and record labels can submit full length MP3s for consideration hereEDITOR'S PICKS You Eat My Food, You Drink My Win, You Steal My Girl! Leslie Pintchik From: You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, ...
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Leslie Pintchik: Eat, Drink, Steal
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
Sophistication is widely admired but little understood. There's no secret formula for creating something thought of as sophisticated nor are there any classes that teach it. Sophistication is simply a higher level of caring and soulfulness that comes from the heart, not the mind. Complexity is often mistaken for being sophisticated. In truth, complexity is almost always long-winded, overly rendered, difficult to understand and boring. A jazz musician either gets this distinction or doesn't. Pianist Leslie Pintchik gets it. As ...
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One Track Mind: Leslie Pintchik "Blowin' in the Wind" (2010)
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Something Else!
By Pico Bob Dylan is a towering figure in folk, and as we were reminded a few days ago, his legacy extends deep into rock music, too, via the all the strong and memorable covers done by rock bands, especially The Byrds. What's more interesting is that Dylan's reach also extends to music forms that have little or no commonality with folk, like straight jazz. I'm reminded of the universal appeal of Dylan songs by this brand new CD by ...
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"I love the CD. The very first sound kept my attention All the Way. I loved the tunes and I loved the playing." —Jim Hall (about an earlier demo CD entitled Completely)
"Pianist Leslie Pintchik’s playing urges the same kind of reflection in her listeners that she uses to make things sparkle. Just check the reserved but gorgeous version of 'Happy Days Are Here Again' on her new album, Quartets." —Timeout NY
"... an adept interpreter of American Songbook classics and a composer of beautifully melodic tunes... " "...an unabashed search for beauty." —AllAboutJazz.com (review of Quartets by Dan McClenaghan)
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You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl!
From: You Eat My Food, You Drink My...By Leslie Pintchik
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