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Aaron Leaney

Canadian musician, composer, and educator, Aaron Leaney has been performing professionally since the late 1990's. Leading jazz and improvised music groups, writing and arranging original pieces, as well as performing as a sideman in various genres.

About Me

SAXOPHONIST / COMPOSER / BANDLEADER / EDUCATOR

Aaron Leaney is a Canadian saxophonist and composer who has been performing accros Canada for over eight years. His repertoire spans across a great variety of genres, from avant-guard creative music to alt rock. He is an experienced and professionally trained jazz musician, but by no means does he choose to remain limited to one genre of music.

Leaney’s first LP recording, Duo, released October 2006 with drummer Chris Dadge, shows the versatility and exploring spirit of his playing. This live recorded disc represents the focus of the group: spontaneous improvisation. In 2005, Leaney & Dadge had a successful live radio performance and were subsequently included on Alive From CJSW. This performance included three of Leaney’s “Compositions for Saxophone & Drums� pieces, of which No.2 is featured on the CD.

He began studying music seriously at Mount Royal College in Calgary, Alberta. During this time he formed a group with other students in the Jazz Studies program which resulted in various club and corporate shows. The next year he moved to Toronto to attend Humber College where he completed a Bachelors of Music degree in Jazz Studies with honours.

Since 2001, Aaron has been teaching all levels of improvisation, theory and woodwinds (saxophone, flute, clarinet) for children and adults. Leaney has studied with Calgary’s John Hyde, Ralf Buschmeyer, Eric Friedenberg, Gary DeBoeck, and Bob Day. For two years in Toronto, Aaron studied individually with saxophonist Pat LaBarbera whose credits span from Buddy Rich to Elvin Jones. At Humber he was able to learn from among others, Kelly Jefferson, Brian Dickinson, Kirk MacDonald, and Don Thompson. During his final year at Humber he played in the Humber Studio Big Band under the leadership of Denny Christianson.

Compositionally, Leaney brings a long list of influences to his recordings; among others, his influences include Wayne Shorter, Thelonius Monk, reggae icon Bob Marley, producer Daniel Lanois, Brian Blade, Brad Mehldau, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Icelandic vocalist Björk. As a saxophonist, he has been affected by the music of John Coltrane, Steve Lacy, Sonny Rollins, Fela Kuti, and New Yorkers David Binney and Chris Potter.

Discography Duo, Aaron Leaney and Chris Dadge, BugIncision Records, Bir-four (2006) This Ugly Arrangement, The Postage Stamps, (2006) Produced by Howard Bilerman at Hotel2tango, Montreal. Alive From CJSW, Various Artists, CJSWAOK (2005)