Leon Alexander Anthony Abbey (May 7, 1900 – September 1975) was 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 ...

violinist and

bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or ...

Biography

He was born in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

on May 7, 1900, to Luther James Robert Abbey and Eva Lee Alexander. He started his career in 1920 as a classical violinist with the orchestra of

J. Rosamond Johnson John Rosamond Johnson (August 11, 1873 – November 11, 1954; usually referred to as J. Rosamond Johnson) was an American composer and singer during the Harlem Renaissance. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, he had much of his career in New York C ...

. Five years later, he recorded with

Clara Smith Clara Smith (March 13, 1894 – February 2, 1935) was an American classic female blues singer, billed as the "Queen of the Moaners", although she had a lighter and sweeter voice than many of her contemporaries. Clara Smith was not related to ...

on "If You Only Knowed" and "You Better Keep the Home Fires Burning". In 1926, he led the

Savoy Bearcats The Savoy Bearcats were an eleven-piece jazz band, led by Leon Abbey, which was the house band at the Savoy Ballroom in New York City from its opening in 1926 to 1928. The band's name was changed from the Charleston Bearcats while they were at the ...

and toured with the band the next year in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. For a decade, he toured throughout Europe and performed in India two times. He led a band with blues singer

Ethel Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her not ...

. In Chicago he led a trio until 1964. His sideman during his career included

Fletcher Allen Fletcher Allen (July 25, 1905 – August 5, 1995) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. Biography Several published sources have incorrectly stated that Allen was born in Cleveland, Ohio. The Social Security index, the ...

Emile Christian Emile Joseph Christian (April 20, 1895 – December 3, 1973), sometimes spelled Emil Christian, was an early jazz trombonist; he also played cornet and string bass. He also wrote a number of tunes, including "Meet Me at the Green Goose", "Satani ...

, Bill Coleman,

Peter DuConge Peter DuConge (1902-1966) was an American jazz reedist, active in the early New Orleans jazz scene. DuConge was raised in a musical family. His father was a journeyman barber, and had a bass, singing voice. His mother, Daniska, was a soprano. Sh ...

, and

Crickett Smith William Crickett Smith (February 8, 1881 – August 30, 1944) was an American ragtime, blues and jazz cornetist and trumpeter. Career Little is known of Smith's early life, though he was born in Emporia, Kansas, the child of Tennessee Exodust ...

. He recorded ''Jazz and Hot Dance in Denmark'' (

Harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...

, 1938) an album as a leader, in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was also issued under the name ''Whoa Babe''. He died in September 1975.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbey, Leon 1900 births 1975 deaths 20th-century American violinists American jazz bandleaders Big band bandleaders American jazz violinists American male violinists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Savoy Bearcats members