Jennifer Leitham (born John Leitham, August 10, 1953) is an American musician and
double bass
The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...
player. Being left-handed, she has also used the nicknames "Lefty" or "The Southpaw."
Career
Her first musical influences included
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
and the music of
Vince Guaraldi
Vincent Anthony Guaraldi (; birth name, né Dellaglio, July 17, 1928 – February 6, 1976) was an American jazz pianist best known for composing music for animated television adaptations of the ''Peanuts'' comic strip. His compositions for this s ...
from the Peanuts holiday cartoons. She started performing in high school when she joined the chorus, revealing an aptitude for music. Her first music teacher was Al Stauffer and her music education grew thanks to the mentorship of some of the giants of the bass world, such as
Milt Hinton
Milton John Hinton (June 23, 1910 – December 19, 2000) was an American double bassist and photographer.
Regarded as the Dean of American jazz bass players, his nicknames included "Sporty" from his years in Chicago, "Fump" from his time on the ...
,
George Duvivier
George Duvivier (August 17, 1920 – July 11, 1985) was an American jazz double-bassist.
Biography
Duvivier was born in New York City, the son of Leon V. Duvivier and Ismay Blakely Duvivier. He attended the Conservatory of Music and Art, where ...
, and Slam Stewart.
An active live performer, Leitham has been
bassist
A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...
on more than 125 recordings including ten of her own. She is known for long associations with Mel Torme and
Doc Severinsen
Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927) is an American retired jazz trumpeter who led the NBC Orchestra on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''.
Early life
Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, to Minnie Mae (1897–1998) a ...
. She has also appeared with
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...
Gerry Mulligan
Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...
,
Peggy Lee
Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...
,
Joe Pass
Joe Pass (born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua; January 13, 1929 – May 23, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. Pass is well known for his work stemming from numerous collaborations with pianist Oscar Peterson and vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, an ...
,
Cleo Laine
Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth (born Clementine Dinah Bullock; 28 October 1927)Louis Bellson, Pete Rugolo,
Bill Watrous
William Russell Watrous III (June 8, 1939 – July 2, 2018) was an American jazz trombonist. He is perhaps best known for his rendition of Sammy Nestico's arrangement of the Johnny Mandel ballad "A Time for Love", which he recorded on a 1993 albu ...
,
k.d. lang
Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop (music), pop and country music, country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical perfor ...
,
Take 6
Take 6 is an American a cappella gospel music, gospel sextet formed in 1980 on the campus of Oakwood University, Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. The group integrates jazz with spiritual and inspirational lyrics. Take 6 has received seve ...
,
Milcho Leviev
Milcho Leviev ( bg, Милчо Левиев ; December 19, 1937 – October 12, 2019) was a Bulgarian composer, arranger, and jazz pianist.
Career
Leviev was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and graduated from the Bulgarian State Academy of Music in 1 ...
Bob Dorough
Robert Lrod Dorough (December 12, 1923 – April 23, 2018) was an American bebop and cool jazz vocalist, pianist, composer, songwriter, arranger, and producer. Dorough became famous as the composer and performer of songs in the TV series ''School ...
,
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Ba ...
and been a member of The Tonight Show All-Stars, The Woody Herman Thundering Herd, the Benny Carter Quintet, and the Bob Cooper Quartet.Lynell George, Going solo in a man's world, ''Los Angeles Times'', August 31, 2003
Leitham has performed as a featured artist or group member at major jazz festivals in North America and internationally. and has been a presenter at workshops and clinics in the U.S. She has performed clinics and master classes at many major universities and was jazz bass instructor at
CSULB
California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a public research university in Long Beach, California. The 322-acre campus is the second largest of the 23-school California State University system (CSU) and one of the largest universities i ...
. She has been a featured artist at many of the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals and clubs. She has appeared with her trio at some of the finest venues in the world, including the Blue Note,
Iridium
Iridium is a chemical element with the symbol Ir and atomic number 77. A very hard, brittle, silvery-white transition metal of the platinum group, it is considered the second-densest naturally occurring metal (after osmium) with a density of ...
,
Smalls
Smalls may refer to:
* Smalls (surname)
* Camp Robert Smalls, a United States Naval training facility
* Fort Robert Smalls, a Civil War redoubt
* Smalls Creek, a northern tributary of the Parramatta River
* Smalls Falls, a waterfall in Maine, USA
...
, and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in New York, The Toronto Pride Fest, also festivals in France and The Netherlands, Hungary and Japan, Mammoth Lakes and Sweet and Hot Jazz Festivals in California,
Blues Alley
Blues Alley, founded in 1965, is a jazz nightclub in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Musicians who have performed at Blues Alley include John Abercrombie, Monty Alexander, Mose Allison, Tony Bennett, Rory Block, Ruby Braff, Gar ...
in Washington, DC, Catalina's, Blue Whale, The
Jazz Bakery
The Jazz Bakery is a not-for-profit arts presenter in Los Angeles that has showcased many of the world's most acclaimed jazz artists since it was founded by jazz vocalist Ruth Price in 1992.
History
Price, President & Artistic Director of the ...
, The Lighthouse, Donte's. Carmello's, Alphonse's, and Cafe 322 in Los Angeles, Shanghai Jazz, the
Deer Head Inn The Deer Head Inn is a jazz club and inn located in Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania. Established in the nineteenth century, the Deer Head Inn became the after hours, artistic home for jazz musicians who worked in the Pocono Mountain Resorts in the ...
in the Delaware Water Gap and a host of others.
Leitham own recordings include ''Leitham Up'', ''The Southpaw'', ''Lefty Leaps In, Live!'' and ''Two for the Road'' (a duo with guitarist
Jimmy Bruno
Jimmy Bruno (born July 22, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist from Philadelphia.
Biography
Born in Philadelphia, Bruno started playing guitar at the age of 7. He began his professional career at the age of 19, touring with Buddy Rich. He played ...
). Her 2006 release, ''The Real Me'', features her original compositions and arrangements and, for the first time, her singing voice. Additionally 2008's critically acclaimed ''Left Coast Story'', the 2011 release of a live DVD ''The Real Me Live'', her 2014 release ''Future Christmas'', and her 2015 release MOOD(S)WINGS . Also, the ''Mood(S)wings'' album was voted one of the Top 3 CDs of 2015 by the readers of "JazzEd" magazine. Her observations on the events of the day were reflected in her 2019 release ''Remnants Of Humanity''.
Personal life
In 2001 Leitham transitioned from being known as John Leitham.The music is sweeter now that Jennifer is not John, ''Hollywood Reporter'', October 2, 2006
Documentary
Leitham is the subject of an award-winning documentary, "I Stand Corrected". It premiered and won the best film award at the American Documentary Film Festival in April, 2012.
Discography
As John Leitham
* ''Leitham Up'' (1992)
* ''The Southpaw'' (1994)
* ''Lefty Leaps In'' (1996)
* ''Live'' (1998)
* ''Two For the Road'' with
Jimmy Bruno
Jimmy Bruno (born July 22, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist from Philadelphia.
Biography
Born in Philadelphia, Bruno started playing guitar at the age of 7. He began his professional career at the age of 19, touring with Buddy Rich. He played ...
(2000)
As Jennifer Leitham
* ''Two For the Road'' (2005) re-release
* ''The Real Me'' (2006)
* ''Left Coast Story'' (2008)
* ''The Real Me Live'' P3(2011)
* ''The Real Me Live'' VD(2011)
* ''Future Christmas'' (2014)
* ''Mood(S)wings'' (2015)
* ''Remnants of Humanity'' (2019)