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Jay Leonhart (born December 6, 1940) is an American double bassist, singer, and songwriter who has worked in jazz and popular music. He has performed with Judy Garland, Bucky Pizzarelli, Carly Simon, Frank Sinatra, and Sting.[1] Leonhart is noted for his clever songwriting, often laced with dry humor. His compositions have been recorded by Blossom Dearie, Lee Konitz, and Gary Burton. His poetry is published both in, and outside of, the venue of song.

Career

Leonhart grew up in a musical family. His parents and six siblings were all musically inclined. Everyone played the piano. By the age of seven, he and his older brother Bill were playing banjo, guitar, mandolin, and bass. They played country music and jazz. In their early teens, they were on TV in Baltimore and toured the country performing on banjo.[2] When Leonhart was fourteen he started playing double bass in the Pier Five Dixieland Jazz Band in Baltimore.

After studying at the Peabody Institute (1946–1950), he attended the Berklee College of Music (1959–1961)[3] and the Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toronto.

In the early 1960s, he worked with Mike Longo and Buddy Morrow.[3] At twenty one, he moved to New York City to start his career. He played road gigs with big bands, small bands, and singers. In 1968, he met and married a singer named Donna Zier and settled in New York.

Leonhart has worked with Louie Bellson, Urbie Green, Jim Hall, Lee Konitz, Marian McPartland, Gerry Mulligan, Mike Renzi, Don Sebesky, Chuck Wayne, and Phil Woods.,[3] Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Lou Marini, and Tony Bennett. He has worked as a studio musician in several genres, for musicians such as James Taylor, Ozzy Osbourne, and Queen Latifah. He has also played in a duo with trombonist Wycliffe Gordon.[2][4]

Between 1975 and 1995, he was named Most Valuable Bassist in the recording industry three times by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Leonhart has recorded many solo albums and has performed a one-man show called “The Bass Lesson” about his life in the music business. He has toured worldwide for more than forty years.[2] He appeared on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz in the fall of 2001. [5]

His son and daughter, Michael and Carolyn, have worked often with Steely Dan.

Discography

As Bassist and Singer

  • Salamander Pie with Mike Renzi (DMP, 1983)
  • There’s Gonna Be Trouble with Joe Beck (Sunnyside, 1984)
  • The Double Cross( Sunnyside, 1988)
  • Life Out on the Road: A Jazz Journey (Prestige Elite, 1990)
  • Two Lane Highways (Prestige Elite, 1992)
  • Live at Fat Tuesday’s: May 13–15, 1993 (DRG, 1993)
  • Galaxies and Planets (Sons of Sound, 2001)
  • Rodgers & Leonhart (Sons of Sound, 2002)
  • Cool (Sons of Sound, 2004)
  • The Bass Lesson (Chancellor Music, 2015)
  • Don’t You Wish (Chancellor Music, 2017)
  • Joy (Sunnyside Communications, 2019)

As leader on mainly instrumental albums

  • Four Duke with Joe Beck, Gary Burton, Terry Clarke (LaserLight, 1995)
  • At Duke’s Place with Jane Jarvis (Progressive Records, 1996)
  • Sensitive to the Touch: The Music of Harold Arlen with Ken Peplowski (Groove Jams, 1998)
  • Live at the 1996 Floating Jazz Festival with Bucky Pizzarelli, John Bunch (Chiaroscuro, 1998)
  • Great Duets (Chiaroscuro, 1999)
  • Tony’s Tunes with John Bunch, Bucky Pizzarelli (Chiaroscuro, 2003)
  • Fly Me to the Moon (Venus, 2004)
  • Lost Songs of 1936 with Bucky Pizzarelli, Dick Hyman (Victoria, 2006)

With The New York Trio

  • Blues in the Night (Venus, 2001)
  • The Things We Did Last Summer (Venus, 2002)
  • Love You Madly (Venus, 2003)
  • Stairway to the Stars (Venus, 2004)
  • Begin the Beguine (Venus, 2006)
  • Thou Swell (Venus, 2007)
  • Always (Venus, 2008)
  • Stardust (Venus, 2009)

Main Source: Allmusic[4]

As guest

Main Source: Allmusic[4]

With Joe Beck

  • Relaxin (DMP, 1983)
  • Friends (DMP, 1984)
  • Back to Beck (DMP, 1988)

With Louie Bellson

  • Louie Bellson and His Jazz Orchestra (Musicmasters, 1987)
  • Hot (Musicmasters, 1988)
  • East Side Suite (Musicmasters, 1989)
  • Airmail Special (Musicmasters, 1990)
  • Peaceful Thunder (Jazz Heritage, 1993)

With Ann Hampton Callaway

  • After Ours (Denon, 1997)
  • Slow (Shanachie, 2004)
  • At Last (Telarc, 2009)

With Barbara Carroll

  • From the Beginning (United Artists, 1977)
  • Live at the Carlyle (DRG, 1991)
  • This Heart of Mine (DRG, 1994)
  • Everything I Love (DRG, 1995)
  • Live at Birdland (Harbinger, 2004)
  • Sentimental Mood (Venus, 2006)
  • I Wished on the Moon (Venus, 2007)
  • Something to Live For (Harbinger, 2010)
  • How Long Has This Been Going On? (Harbinger, 2011)

With Cynthia Crane & Mike Renzi

  • Our First Christmas (Lookoutjazz, 1993)
  • Smoky Bar Songs for the No Smoking Section (Lookoutjazz, 1994)
  • & Mike Renzi, Blue Rendezvous (Lookoutjazz 1995)
  • Cynthia’s in Love (Lookoutjazz, 1997)

With Meredith D’Ambrosio

  • Shadowland (Sunnyside, 1993)
  • Echo of a Kiss (Sunnyside, 1998)
  • Love Is for the Birds (Sunnyside, 2002)

With Blossom Dearie

  • Positively Volume VII (Daffodil, 1983)
  • with Mike Renzi, Tweedledum and Tweedledee (Daffodil, 1991)

With Mark Elf

  • New York Cats (Jen Bay Records, 1999)
  • Over the Airwaves (Jen Bay Records, 2000)

With Michael Feinstein

  • Recorded Live at Feinstein’s at the Regency (Concord Jazz, 2000)
  • Romance on Film, Romance on Broadway (Concord Jazz, 2000)
  • Fly Me to the Moon (DuckHole, 2010)

With Eddie Higgins

  • Music of Jobim: Speaking of Love (Venus, 2000)
  • Don’t Smoke in Bed (Venus, 2000)
  • Bewitched (Venus, 2001)
  • A Time for Love (Nola, 2002)
  • Moonlight Becomes You (Venus, 2003)
  • Dear Old Stockholm (Venus, 2003)
  • Dear Old Stockholm Vol. 2 (Venus, 2003)
  • If Dreams Come True (Venus, 2004)
  • My Funny Valentine (Venus, 2005)
  • Christmas Songs (Venus, 2006)
  • It’s Magic Vol. 1 (Venus, 2007)
  • It’s Magic Vol. 2 (Venus, 2007)
  • A Fine Romance (Venus, 2007)
  • A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening (Venus, 2007)
  • Secret Love (Venus, 2008)
  • A Handful of Stars (Venus, 2009)
  • Portraits of Love (Venus, 2009)
  • You are Too Beautiful (Venus, 2009)
  • Ballad Higgins (Venus, 2015)
  • Standard Higgins (Venus, 2015)

With Dick Hyman

  • Swing Is Here (Reference, 1996)
  • You’re My Everything (Venus, 2012

With Lynda Jamison

  • Know What I’ve Learned (Suite Dreams by Linda, 1996)
  • You and the Night and the Music (Lyn-Jam, 1998)
  • UnPack Your Dreams (Lyn-Jam, 2001)

With Jane Jarvis

  • Cut Glass (Audiophile, 1990)
  • Jane and Jay At Duke’s Place (Progressive, 1995)

With Morgana King

  • Portraits (Muse, 1984)
  • Tender Moments (Savoy, 2000)

With Nancy LaMott

  • Come Rain or Come Shine (Triloka, 1992)
  • My Foolish Heart (Midder, 1993)
  • Just in Time for Christmas (King Kozmo, 1994)
  • Listen to My Heart (King Kozmo, 1995)
  • What’s Good about Goodbye? (Midder, 1996)
  • Ask Me Again (King Kozmo, 2008)

With Peggy Lee

With Maureen McGovern

  • Naughty Baby (CBS, 1989)
  • Baby I’m Yours (BMG, 1992)
  • Out of This World (MM Productions, 1996)
  • The Music Never Ends (MM, 1997)
  • A Long and Winding Road (PS Classics, 2008)
  • You Raise Me Up: A Spiritual Journey (Lucid Artist Management, 2016)

With Max Morath

  • Jonah Man and Other Songs of the Bert Williams Era (Vanguard, 1976)
  • Jonah Man: A Tribute to Bert Williams (Vanguard, 1996)

With Gerry Mulligan

  • Walk on the Water (DRG 1980)
  • Little Big Horn (GRP 1983)
  • Soft Lights & Sweet Music (Concord Jazz, 1986)

With Harold Ousley

  • The Kid! (Cobblestone, 1972)
  • The People’s Groove (Muse, 1977)
  • Sweet Double Hipness (Muse, 1980)

With Bucky Pizzarelli

  • & John Bunch, NY Swing (LRC, 1992)
  • & John Bunch, Cole Porter Collective – New York Swing (LRC, 1992)
  • New York Swing Plays Rodgers and Hart (LRC, 1994)
  • Manhattan Swing: A Visit with the Duke (Arbors, 2001)
  • Five for Freddie (Arbors, 2006)
  • Plays the Music of Jerome Kern (LRC, 2006)

With Earl Rose

  • Take My Breath Away (Sony, 1997)
  • Guys and Dolls (Amadeus, 2005)
  • Color, Rhythm and Magic: favorite Songs From Disney Classics (Varese Sarabande, 1999)

With Don Sebesky

  • Full Cycle (Paddle Wheel, 1983)
  • Moving Lines (Doctor Jazz, 1985)

With Daryl Sherman

  • I’ve Got My Fingers Crossed (Audiophile, 1990)
  • Born to Swing (Audiophile, 2002)
  • Johnny Mercer A Centennial Tribute (Arbors, 2009)

With Mel Torme

  • Mel Torme and Friends (Finesse, 1981)
  • Encore at Marty’s New York (Flair, 1982)

With Marlene VerPlanck

  • A Warmer Place (Audiophile, 1982)
  • I Like to Sing! (Audiophile, 1984)
  • A New York Singer (Audiophile, 1995)

With others

See also

References

  1. ^ Leonhart, Jay. “Official Artist Website Biography”. Jay Leonhart. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c Kanzler, George (2024-07-10). “Jay Leonhart: Overdue Ovation”. JazzTimes. Retrieved 2026-04-03.
  3. ^ a b c Yanow, Scott. “Jay Leonhart”. AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b c “Jay Leonhart Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mor…” AllMusic. Retrieved 2026-04-03.
  5. ^ N; P; R (2016-03-04). “Jay Leonhart On Piano Jazz”. NPR. Retrieved 2026-04-04.