Leon Parker (born August 21, 1965 in

White Plains, New York (Always Faithful) , image_seal = WhitePlainsSeal.png , seal_link = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = U.S. state, State , su ...

) is a jazz percussionist and composer.

All Music AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

/ref> He is known for occasionally using a minimalist drum set with fewer components than usual, "sometimes consisting only of a

snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...

bass drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...

and a

cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...

." His 1998 album, ''Awakening'' ( Columbia), reached the 20th position on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

''s "Top Jazz albums" chart. It was his second album for Columbia. Parker played on pianist

Jacky Terrasson Jacky Terrasson (born November 27, 1965) is a French jazz pianist and composer. Background Terrasson's mother is African-American from Georgia, and his father is French. From his parents he heard classical music as a child. He began piano lesson ...

's first three albums. Parker toured with guitarist

Charlie Hunter Charlie Hunter (born May 23, 1967) is an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. First coming to prominence in the early 1990s, Hunter plays custom-made seven- and eight-string guitars on which he simultaneously plays bass lines, chords, a ...

, who commented that "What I always look for in drummers is that they have a perfect blend of the visceral and the intellectual ..Leon definitely had that."Milkowski, Bill (September 2015) "Charlie Hunter: Groove Factor". ''DownBeat''. p. 45.

Discography

As leader

*1994: ''Above & Below'' (Epicure) *1996: ''Belief'' (Columbia) *1998: ''Awakening'' (Columbia) *2001: ''The Simple Life'' (Label M)

Collaborations

*1999: ''Duo'' with Charlie Hunter (Blue Note)

As sideman

With

Dewey Redman Walter Dewey Redman (May 17, 1931 – September 2, 2006) was an American saxophonist who performed free jazz as a bandleader and with Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett. Redman mainly played tenor saxophone, though he occasionally also played ...

Joshua Redman Joshua Redman (born February 1, 1969) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He is the son of jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman (1931–2006). Life and career Joshua Redman was born in Berkeley, California, to jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman ...

*''

Choices A choice is the range of different things from which a being can choose. The arrival at a choice may incorporate motivators and models. For example, a traveler might choose a route for a journey based on the preference of arriving at a given ...

'' (Enja, 1992) With Jesse Davis *''As We Speak'' (Concord Jazz, 1992) *'' Young at Art'' (Concord Jazz, 1993) With MTB (

Brad Mehldau Bradford Alexander Mehldau (; born August 23, 1970) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Mehldau studied music at The New School, and toured and recorded while still a student. He was a member of saxophonist Joshua Redman's Quar ...

, Mark Turner, Peter Bernstein) *''

Consenting Adults In criminal law, consent may be used as an excuse and prevent the defendant from incurring liability for what was done. Defences against criminal liability A defence against criminal liability may arise when a defendant can argue that, becaus ...

'' (Criss Cross Jazz, 1994) With

*''

'' (Bluenote, 1994) *'' Reach'' (Blue Note, 1995) *''

Alive Alive may refer to: *Life Books, comics and periodicals * ''Alive'' (novel), a 2015 novel by Scott Sigler * '' Alive: The Final Evolution'', a 2003 shonen manga by Tadashi Kawashima and Adachitoka * '' Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors'', ...

'' (Blue Note, 1998) *'' A Paris... (Blue Note, 2000) With

Don Braden Don Braden (born November 20, 1963) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.https://jazzbakery.org/events/saxophoniest-don-braden-quartet-presents-earth-wind-and-wonder saxophonist Don Braden Quartet presents Earth Wind and Wonder Career Braden w ...

*''Organic'' (Epicure, 1995) With James Carter *''

The Real Quiet Storm ''The Real Quiet Storm'' is the third studio album by saxophonist James Carter (musician), James Carter, the first to be released on the Atlantic Records, Atlantic label.

'' (Atlantic, 1995) With

Franck Amsallem Franck Amsallem is a French-American jazz pianist, arranger, composer, singer and educator. He was born in 1961 in Oran, French Algeria, but grew up in Nice, France. Early years Amsallem was born in Oran (Algeria) to Elie Amsallem (1922-2019) a ...

and

Tim Ries Timothy M. Ries (born 15 August 1959) is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, band leader, and music educator at the collegiate/conservatory level. Ries is in his year as a professor of jazz studies at the University of Toronto. His un ...

* Is That So,

Sunnyside Records Sunnyside Records is an American jazz record company and label established by François Zalacain in 1982 initially to release an album by pianist Harold Danko. Albums by Kirk Lightsey and Lee Konitz soon followed beginning a sequence of releases ...

1996 With

Virginia Mayhew Virginia Mayhew (born May 14, 1959, San Francisco, California) is a New York-based saxophonist, composer and bandleader. She has led her own groups for over 25 years, and currently leads several quartets, a quintet, and a septet. Mayhew has worke ...

*''Nini Green'' (Chiaroscuro, 1997) With

Giovanni Mirabassi Giovanni Mirabassi is a Paris-based Italian jazz pianist, born 4 May 1970 in Perugia, Italy. Self-taught, he learned by listening to Bud Powell, Art Tatum, and Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) ...

*''Terra Furiosa'' (Discograph, 2008) *''Out of Track'' (Discograph, 2009) With

and Gianluca Renzi *''Live At the Blue Note, Tokyo'' (Discograph, 2010)

References

American jazz drummers Living people 1965 births People from White Plains, New York 20th-century American drummers American male drummers Jazz musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians {{US-jazz-drummer-stub