Leon Lee Dorsey (born March 12, 1958) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

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 ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...

, producer, and educator known for his well-received debut for

Landmark Records Landmark Records was an American jazz record company and label founded in 1985 by Orrin Keepnews. Landmark's releases included music by Donald Byrd, Jack DeJohnette, Jimmy Heath, Vincent Herring, Bobby Hutcherson, Mulgrew Miller, Buddy Montgome ...

. He teaches at the

Berklee School of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. Raised by a family plugged into Pittsburgh’s jazz lineage, Dorsey began playing instruments at an early age. He picked up the piano and cello first, soon after joining the Pittsburgh Symphony at the famed Center for the Musically Talented. He began his undergraduate studies at Oberlin College, where he was the first to receive a B.M in classical Double Bass and Jazz Performance. Dorsey also graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory and was one of several jazz luminaries at the opening of their new jazz facility, the Bertram and Judith Kohl building. He released his debut album ''The Watcher'' in 1995 and followed it up with 1999’s ''Song of Songs''. In 2003, he founded Leon Lee Dorsey Studios in New York City. Dorsey has performed alongside many jazz icons, from Lionel Hampton, Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, John Lewis, Kenny Clarke, Jon Hendricks, Gloria Lynn, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Dorothy Donegan, Stanley Turrentine, George Benson, Ellis Marsalis, Nnenna Freelon, Terumasa Hino to GRAMMY-winning vocalist Cassandra Wilson, performing with Frank Sinatra at Carnegie Hall, and with conducting legends Lukas Foss and Robert Fountain.

Education

* Classical Double Bass / Jazz Performance - Double Degree in Music (

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational liberal arts college in the United S ...

) - 1981 * Classical Double Bass - Master's Degree (

University of Wisconsin-Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

) - 1983 * Artist Diploma Program (

Hartt School of Music The Hartt School is the comprehensive performing arts conservatory of the University of Hartford located in West Hartford, Connecticut, United States, that offers degree programs in music, dance, and theatre. Founded in 1920 by Julius Hartt and ...

) - 1984 * Music Performance (Double Bass) - Master's Degree (

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory in New York City. The school offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition, as well as a bachelor's in mu ...

) - 1986 * Double Bass Performance - Doctor of Music (DMA) (Stony Brook University Graduate School) - 2016

Discography

As leader

As sideman

* '' I Get a Kick Out of Bu'' -

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

& the

Jazz Messengers The Jazz Messengers were a jazz combo that existed for over thirty-five years beginning in the early 1950s as a collective, and ending when long-time leader and founding drummer Art Blakey died in 1990. Blakey led or co-led the group from the o ...

* 1988: ''

Feel the Wind ''Feel the Wind'' is an album by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and drummer Art Blakey recorded in November 1988 and released on the Timeless label. It features performances by Hubbard, Blakey, Benny Green, Mulgrew Miller, Leon Lee Dorsey, Lon ...

'' -

& the

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

* ''Cookin in the Kitchen'' -

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles M ...

Orchestra * ''Today's Love Songs Tomorrow's Blues'' -

Arthur Prysock Arthur Prysock Jr. (January 1, 1924 Gloria Lynne Gloria Lynne (born Gloria Wilson; November 23, 1929 – October 15, 2013), also known as Gloria Alleyne, was an American jazz vocalist with a recording career spanning from 1958 to 2007. Career Lynne was born in Harlem in 1929 to John and Mary W ...

w/ David "Fathead" Newman * ''Darling Please Save your Love for Me'' - Dakota Stanton * ''Gemini'' - Archie Schepp Quartet w/ John Hicks, Charlie Persip * ''The Other Side'' -

Oliver Lake Oliver Lake (born September 14, 1942) is an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, poet, and visual artist. He is known mainly for alto saxophone, but he also performs on soprano and flute. During the 1960s, Lake worked with the Black Art ...

, Big Band Live! w/

John Stubblefield John Stubblefield (February 4, 1945 – July 4, 2005) was an American jazz saxophonist, flautist, and oboist. Early life Stubblefield was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. He studied music at the Association for the Advancement of Crea ...

Frank Lacy Frank Lacy (born August 9, 1958, Houston, Texas) is an American jazz trombonist who has spent many years as a member of the Mingus Big Band. Career Lacy's father was a teacher who played guitar with Arnett Cobb, Illinois Jacquet, and Eddie Clea ...

* ''New York Story'' -

Hilton Ruiz Hilton Ruiz (May 29, 1952 – June 6, 2006) was an American jazz pianist in the Afro-Cuban jazz mold, but was also a talented bebop player. He was of Puerto Rican descent. Biography Born in New York City, Ruiz began playing piano at the age of f ...

George Coleman George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master. Early life Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was ...

Grady Tate Grady Tate (January 14, 1932 – October 8, 2017) was an American jazz and soul-jazz drummer and baritone vocalist. In addition to his work as sideman, Tate released many albums as leader and lent his voice to songs in the animated '' Schoolhou ...

* ''Steppin’ with T.P.'' -

Dave Valentin David Peter Valentin (April 29, 1952 – March 8, 2017) was an American Latin jazz flautist of Puerto Rican descent. Life and career Valentin was born to Puerto Rican parents in The Bronx in New York City. He attended The High School of Mu ...

& Antonio Hart * ''Swing ‘em Gates'' -

Jay Hoggard Jay Hoggard (born September 24, 1954) is an American jazz vibraphonist. Biography Jay Hoggard was raised in a religious family. He was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. His mother taught him how to play piano at ...

w/ Dr. Billy Taylor,

Winard Harper Hiram Winard Harper (born June 4, 1962) is an American jazz drummer. Career Harper played in the 1980s with Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, and with Betty Carter for four years. While working with Carter he met Wycliffe Gordon, with whom Harper ...

* ''Twilight Blues'' - Roy Meriwether w/ Houston Pearson * ''Song for my Sister'' -

Roscoe Mitchell Roscoe Mitchell (born August 3, 1940) is an American composer, jazz instrumentalist, and educator, known for being "a technically superb – if idiosyncratic – saxophonist". ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' described him as "one of the key figures ...

* ''Renewal of the Spirit'' - Vincent Ector w/

Bobby Watson Robert Michael Watson Jr. (born August 23, 1953), known professionally as Bobby Watson, is an American saxophonist, composer, and educator. Music career Watson was born in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. He ...

* ''Lovecentric'' - Gerry Eastman w/ Joe Ford, Newman Baker * ''Vignettes in the Spirit of Ellington'' - James Jabbo Ware * ''Something is Coming'' - James Jabbo Ware * ''Gilly’s Caper'' - Sue Terry w/ Saul Reuben, Vince Ector * ''The Standard Session'' - Stephen Zinnato w/

Frank Wess Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. In addition to his extensive solo work, Wess is remembered for his time in Count Basie's band from the early 1950s into the 1960s. Critic ...

, Charlie Persip * ''The 5 A.M. Strut'' - Ezra Weiss w/

Billy Hart Billy Hart (born November 29, 1940) is an American jazz drummer and educator. He is known internationally for his work with Herbie Hancock's "Mwandishi" band in the early 1970s, as well with Shirley Horn, Stan Getz, and Quest, among others. Bi ...

, Antonio Hart and Mike Mossman * ''Persephone'' - Ezra Weiss w/ Billy Hart, Antonio Hart and Mike Mossman * ''Miles Away…Wayne in Heavy'' - Eric Gould * ''Who Sez'' - Eric Gould * ''Great Spirit'' - Jim Finn * ''Sax and the Single Girl'' - Gail Allen * ''What is This Thing Called Jazz'' - Laura Theodore * '' For Four Orchestras'' -

Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chica ...

(Oberlin Orchestra) *

The Daou The Daou were a New York-based dance music quintet composed of Peter Daou (keyboards), Vanessa Daou (vocals), Mike Caro (guitar), Leon Dorsey (bass), and former 24-7 Spyz member Anthony Johnson (drums). Their only album ''Head Music'' was release ...

–

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

(Underground Dance-Rock)

External links

Dorsey's homepage
from University of Pittsburgh
Dorsey's personal website

References

Landmark Records artists Living people 1958 births American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists Oberlin College alumni University of Pittsburgh faculty 21st-century double-bassists 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians {{double-bassist-stub