Jazz organists, Mike LeDonne

MIKE LEDONNE: THAT FEELIN’ (Savant)
Latest in the series by organist Mike LeDonne’s Groover Quartet, with guest Vincent Herring added on three numbers, meets the standard one expects. Tunes as usual mix his own pieces with those from outside jazz – from At Last to the likes of La La Means I Love You, doubtless familiar to any Delfonics fans reading this. It’s an ensemble that hits all the collective buttons along with classy solos. This album also suggests LeDonne, whose career had been built around steam piano, keeps digging into ways to make effective use of the organ’s sonic potential, which does not simply mean more noise. (Ronald Atkins)

Like many jazz organists, Mike LeDonne started out on piano, playing with the Art Farmer-Clifford Jordan Quartet, Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Turrentine and Sonny Rollins. His eleven-year association with Milt Jackson and recording projects with Benny Golson solidified his prominence as a sideman. Now, with 8 Savant CDs as a leader under his belt, LeDonne has certainly earned himself a place in the elite club of truly great organist-bandleaders. Here he appears with his acclaimed Groover Quartet, this time with alto saxophonist Vincent Herring along for a swinging ride through an unhackneyed set of nine numbers all of which receive the unmistakable LeDonne treatment.Like many jazz organists, Mike LeDonne started out on piano. Growing up around the family music store where his father Micki played jazz guitar, his path to music was inevitable. After graduating from The New England Conservatory, he moved to New York and became a fixture in jazz circles. Earlier in his career, he established himself as a sought-after pianist, playing with the Art Farmer-Clifford Jordan Quartet, Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Turrentine and Sonny Rollins. His eleven-year association with Milt Jackson and recording projects with Benny Golson solidified his prominence as a sideman. Now, with 8 Savant CDs as a leader under his belt, LeDonne has certainly earned himself a place in the elite club of truly great organist-bandleaders. Here he appears with his acclaimed Groover Quartet, this time with alto saxophonist Vincent Herring along for a swinging ride through an unhackneyed set of nine numbers all of which receive the unmistakable LeDonne treatment.

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http://mikeledonne.net/