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Across his career, Jay Leonhart was named The Most Valuable Bassist in the recording industry three times by the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, the presenter of the GRAMMYS. The bassist, singer, and songwriter has worked in jazz and popular music since he was 13 years old. Working in a Dixieland band in Baltimore with his brother, Jay watched and listened to the bass player and knew that the bass was the instrument he would play forever. He honed his craft at Peabody Conservatory and Berklee College of Music.

Over the course of his long career,  he has played with Judy Garland, Duke Ellington, Thad Jones, Buddy Rich, Jim Hall, Peggy Lee, Mel Torme, Marian McPartland, Kenny Barron, Sting, James Taylor, Papa Joe Jones, Roy Eldridge, Jim Hall, Louie Bellson, Dick Hyman, Luciano Pavoratti, and many more. He is well known to many jazz lovers for his duo performances with trombonist Wycliffe Gordon.

Leonhart is noted for his clever songwriting which is often sidesplittingly funny. (Check out his videoIt’s Impossible To Sing and Play The Bass” where he does the impossible sings and plays the Bass wonderfully!) His compositions have been recorded by Blossom Dearie, Lee Konitz, and Gary Burton, and his poetry is published both as song and verse.

The Jay Leonhart Trio will be presented at the third Jazz Brunch in the Litchfield Jazz Presents Series. Jay appears with Tomoko Ohno on piano and Vito Lesczak on drums. There will be an assortment of breakfast favorites along with fruit and pastries.

HJS is not responsible for changes or errors, so verify event with venue before attending.