Jazz Articles about Jay Leonhart

Eddie Higgins Trio: Christmas Songs

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
November 19, 2004

Tis the season (again? already?), and along with the usual relentless merchandising we get the new flock of Christmas jazz. So, striking an ecumenical note, here's the question: why is this Christmas CD different from all other Christmas CDs? After all, it contains a dozen of the most popular holiday songs, done in standard trio format. The answer goes beyond the cover, Meredith d'Ambrosio's fascinating egg-shell mosaic of a snowy Charles River, although it's a huge departure from Venus Records' ...

Jay Leonhart Trio: Fly Me to the Moon: Tribute to Ray Brown

by J. Robert Bragonier
July 18, 2004

I am an avowed sucker when it comes to Ray Brown; mention of his name is guaranteed to raise my eyebrows and catch my attention. When, in addition, I see names like Benny Green, Jay Leonhart, and Al Cohn's son Joe in association with a tribute to the master bassist, I'm pretty well on the way to being hooked, before I've heard a note. Such was the case when this CD arrived, and it's just as well; if I had ...

Jay Leonhart: Rodgers and Leonhart

by C. Michael Bailey
February 13, 2003

This quirky little recording offers a freshly-performed collection of Richard Rodgers compositions presented in a springtime nouvelle façon. Bassist/vocalist Leonhart provides this recording with a beautifully fresh sense of humor and novel invention.

Multiple vocalists ply their respective wares on these Broadway gems. Notable tunes from the list of usual suspects include two from The Sound of Music. The show title and “Edelweiss" represent worthy additions to the American Canon. These performances on the whole have a ...

Jay Leonhart: Galaxies and Planets

by Dave Nathan
May 1, 2001

Master bassist Jay Leonhart has chosen a program of his own songs to fill an album dedicated to the memory of Milt Hinton. The material is the type one associates with Murk Murphy, Dave Frishberg and Bob Dorough, hip, often funny and kind of folksy. It's as if Leonhart was sitting across from you recounting some of his life events. Nothing very heavy, things like trying to get his bass on a plane “Bass Aboard a Plane" or being held ...