Jamie Leonhart & Her Sextet
Michael Leonhart & The Avramina 7
Bio:
With her debut album, The Truth About Suffering, the sharp-witted chanteuse Jamie Leonhart enters the world of a new kind of diva, dynamic in emotional range and diverse in genre-crossing ability.
Jamie’s lithe and lyrical, three-and-a-half octave voice wraps around universe in which Kurt Weill and Laura Nyro meet Alice in Wonderland in a dimly-lit jazz club, inhabited by woodwinds, strings, vibraphone, and exotic instruments like the glockenspiel, mellotron and harmonium.
Born in New York City, the granddaughter of a cantor, and the youngest of three musically-curious children, Jamie began studying the violin at the age of three and singing soon after. Her inspiration to find her own voice began in her early teen years while singing in a vocal jazz ensemble, and at home foraging through her brother’s expansive eclectic record collection. After graduating with a degree in English Literature from Barnard College, Jamie continued her musical journey: through leading a ‘pop’ band, to singing as a soloist in the New York Metro Mass Gospel Choir to performing as a solo artist at prominent New York venues such as Rockwood Music Hall, the Living Room, and Joe’s Pub.
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Born into a musical family, Michael Leonhart has developed into one of the most imaginative musicians of his time, sought throughout the music and entertainment world as a trumpet player, producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and singer-songwriter. As a solo artist Michael has released six albums — “Aardvark Poses” (1995), “Glub Glub vol. 11” (1997), and “Slow” (2002) all on the Sunnyside label (http://www.sunnysiderecords.com/); “The Suzy Lattimore EP” (2005) & “The Ballad of Minton Quigley “(2006) self released and this year’s “Hotel Music” on limited edition vinyl with hand painted covers released through St. Ives (an imprint of Secretly Canadian). He has composed and performed music for movies, television, dance, fashion shows and theater, and has appeared on over 70 albums. At age 17, Michael was honored as the youngest Grammy recipient in history, cited as the most outstanding musician in a U.S. high school. That same year ABC World News named him “Person of the Week”. Michael has performed with Steely Dan since 1996, recording two albums with them, including 2000’s Grammy winning Album of the Year “Two Against Nature” on which he was a featured performer, arranger and conductor. He has performed and/or recorded with such diverse artists as A Tribe Called Quest, Arif Mardin, Arto Linsday, Bill Frisell, Bobby McFerrin, Bonnie Raitt, Brian Eno, Busta Rhymes, D.J. Spooky, David Byrne, Henry Mancini, James Brown, John Barry,Joshua Redman, Mos Def, Natalie Merchant, Q-Tip, Raekwon (Wutang Clan), Slash (Guns and Roses/ Velvet Revolver), Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), Todd Rundgren, Vinicius Cantuaria and Wynton Marsalis. In 2004, Michael toured worldwide with Lenny Kravitz supporting his most recent album, “Baptism.”
Video:
Jamie Leonhart
Michael Leonhart