Album Notes

Radio personality Jonathan Schwartz likes to say that Jay Leonhart writes songs about nothing, but what Jay actually does is write songs about everything--what he sees, does, thinks, imagines, or swears that he saw--and this makes for some fascinating and often very funny songs.

Combined with his bass violin virtuosity and his jazz expertise, Jay Leonhart's songs end up being hip, humorous, and moving commentaries on our lives and times.

Jay Leonhart spent his teenage years learning to play the bass and listening to his musical hero, the legendary bassist Ray Brown.

Song writing was not really a priority in those early years.

But he was always writing poems.

As he grew older he started putting his poems to music and he has now written about three hundred songs and has recorded seven albums of his music.

Jay's songs are unlike any other songs around today.

Many are very unique and personal insights into the life of a bass player and road musician.

Other's are points of view on the human condition.

Yet they are all songs we relate to.

His melodies have been compared to Hoagy Carmichael's and his lyrics to something Johnny Mercer might have cooked up if he'd been a bass player.

Jay has also collaborated on songs with other composers, like Tommy Flanagan, Jeff Clayton, and Ray Brown.

Over the last forty years, Jay has played the bass for most of the legendary singers and jazz musicians of our time-from Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra to Sting and James Taylor--Jim Hall and Marian McPartland to Bill Charlap and Branford Marsalis --Judy Garland and Peggy Lee to Carly Simon and Bette Midler.

In fact there are very few singers and jazz musicians Jay Leonhart has not played with.

He has been named the Most Valuable Bassist in the recording world three times by the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences.

In the meantime Jay has been performing his songs in concert halls and jazz clubs around the world for the last twenty five years.

In addition he has recorded thousand of commercials and hundreds of albums for others.

He has gotten the reputation of being both a fine bassist and a very entertaining performer.

Beside his world wide engagements, Jay managed to perform his own songs every Sunday at the Blue Note for ten years before starting to write his own show, The Bass lesson" which will be opening in New York in 2002.

Jay Leonhart has received his share of rave reviews, and one of his favorite quotes comes from critic Leonard Feather who writes that: " Jay Leonhart is the wittiest composer to come along since Dave Frishberg".

Jay Leonhart CD's: Salamander Pie - Digital Music Products (DMP) There's Gonnna Be Trouble - Sunnyside Records The Double Cross - Sunnyside Records Life Out on the Road - Prestige Records Two Lane Highways - Prestige Records Jay Leonhart with His Friends at Fat Tuesdays - DRG Records Galaxies and Planets - Sons of Sound Recordings Great Duets - Chiaroscuro 15 plays Monk - Sunnyside REcords