This is a story of one jazz musician’s sense of humanity that has been deeply touched by personal experience. While perusing the myriad possibilities offered by the annual Winterjazzfest (January 9-10), conspicuously tagged onto many of the releases about that mid-winter NYC delight was a January 8 event with the curious title Jazz Legends Play […]
Mike LeDonne has never been one to hold his tongue, and today’s interview is no exception. The pianist/Hammond organist discusses how he was first drawn to his instruments, and how he ascended to become one of the most in-demand jazz musicians working today. If you haven’t had the chance to hear his Groover quartet on […]
Mike LeDonne was tested on the following tracks for the “Blindfold Test”: Jimmy Cobb: “Unrequited” from The Original Mob (Smoke Sessions) Geoffrey Keezer: “Come Talk To Me” from Heart Of The Piano (Motéma) Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra: “The Mad Hatter” from The Offense Of The Drum (Motéma) Ralph Peterson’s Unity Project: […]
Pianist, organist, educator, and bandleader Mike LeDonne has been one of the most in demand session musicians for well over 30 years. Backing icons like Milt Jackson, Bobby Hutcherson, and Benny Golson, Mike has been the bridge between the straight ahead and soul music of his generation. His latest Groover Quartet release “I Love Music” […]
Savant SCD2135 As the band’s name implies, groove is paramount to keyboardist Mike LeDonne’s Groover Quartet. The group has been together for 14 years, and they’ve developed an addictive sound that appeals to jazz aficionados as well as recent converts. The same is true of LeDonne’s I Love Music, a gem on which his […]
Mike LeDonne‘s recording, “Speak”, is #35 on JazzWeek’s top 100 chart of 2013! View the rest of the selections on the chart. “Speak” was released in May of 2013 on Cellar Live Records, with John Webber on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums. Check out the recording in Mike LeDonne’s discography to listen to a couple of […]
Mark Stryker of the Detroit Free Press, picked Speak (Cellar Live) as one of the Top 10 Releases of 2013 for the NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll. View all of the votes here! Purchase Speak from Cellar Live Records! Check out some of the music here: Little M Bues For McCoy
EPISODE 26/27 – PIANIST MIKE LEDONNE I met Mike at the Smoke Club in NYC after hearing him with an amazing band. We talked about Phineas Newborn and the jazz piano legacy. I knew one day we would have to continue and hopefully record that conversation. Mike truly is a living legend himself, working with, among others, […]
“A friend of mine used to say that jazz is a participation sport, not a spectator sport. It’s a funny analogy but I thought: that’s really true.” This observation perfectly describes pianist/organist Mike LeDonne’s endeavors as both a sideman and as a leader. LeDonne’s resume includes stints with bandleader Benny Goodman, vibraphonist Milt Jackson and […]
Every few months, jazz keyboard standard-bearer Mike LeDonne uses Facebook to set the online jazz world ablaze with his views about the music’s current direction. In September, LeDonne, 56, wrote a post about younger musicians who mainly check out the music of their peers or a generation once removed — and not the masters of […]
As any veteran musician knows, you have to learn how to play the house. “We had a lot of empty table with candles on them,” says keyboard vet Mike LeDonne, commenting on his early career gigs. “I was just hitting and missing, trying to figure out what my directions was gonna be. But that club […]
