International Archives For The Jazz Organ (IAJO) - The Jazz Organ Scene USA

photo by Gene Martin

Mike LeDonne

Mike LeDonne was born in Bridgeport Connecticut in 1956. He was raised in his parent's music store and by the age of 10 his father, a jazz guitarist, began booking him on gigs. At age 21, Mike graduated from New England Conservatory and moved to New York City with the Widespread Jazz Orchestra. In 1981, he left Widespread to travel to the UK with Panama Francis and the Savoy Sultans. On returning, he began a two-year stint as the house pianist at Jimmy Ryan's, then one of New York¹s oldest jazz clubs. It was there that he came under the influence of and played with many old masters such as Roy Eldridge, Papa Jo Jones and Vic Dickenson. He spent 1982-1983 with the Benny Goodman sextet and went on to play with Buddy Tate, Al Grey, Ruby Braff and many others. Later he worked with the Art Farmer-Clifford Jordan Quintet, went to Paris with Grady Tate, and played with James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Turrentine, Charles McPherson and Sonny Rollins. He also spent time as accompanist to singers Ernestine Anderson, Annie Ross and Etta Jones. In 1988 he started playing with the Milt Jackson Quartet (along with Mickey Roker and Bob Cranshaw).

Mr. Jackson recorded Mike's compositions and arrangements. Mike also became the band's musical director. In the fall of 1992, Mike was chosen to be part of a group of top young musicians for the Phillip Morris Superband World Tour. Mike served as musical director for that group, which featured Ryan Kisor on trumpet, Joshua Redman on tenor saxophone, Jesse Davis on alto saxophone, Christian McBride on bass and Lewis Nash at the drums. Around this time, Mike toured with the Newport All-Stars in lineups that also featured Harry 'Sweets' Edison and Clark Terry. Mike has been playing and recording with Benny Golson since 1997. He has alsobeen leading trios which have included Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb, Billy Hart, Pete LaRoca and Louis Hayes. Most recently, he has worked with Bobby Hutcherson.

Mike has played concerts and clubs around the world since 1981. Along with his many recordings as a sideman, he has five CDs on Criss Cross Jazz and three on Doubletime Records. One of them was selected as 'Record Of The Year' in the 1989 Jazz Journal Critics Poll. His long awaited first CD as a leader on Hammond organ, "Smokin' Out Loud" made it to #1 in national airplay. It features his regularly working band which includes Eric Alexander, Peter Bernstein and Joe Farnsworth.

Mike is the co-author of Jim Snidero's Jazz Conceptions for Piano and Piano comping books, on Advance Music. In 2001 he was asked to join the faculty of the Juilliard School as part of it's Jazz Studies Division. His Hammond organ playing got him selected as Talent Deserving Wider Recognition in the 2002 Downbeat Critics poll and Oscar Peterson picked him as one of his favorite pianists of today.

Organic Duke Concord Jazz CCD-4623 recorded May 1994 in New York, NY/USA	Scott Hamilton, tenor sax Mike LeDonne, organ Dennis Irwin, bass Chuck Riggs, drums
Word On The Street Double-Time Records DTRCD-119 recorded September 1996 in New York/USA	Chris Flory, guitar Mike LeDonne, organ Mark Taylor, drums
Birdland Birthday Enja Records ENJ-9321 2 recorded live at Birdland in New York City/USA	Benny Waters, alto sax, vocals Steve Blailock, guitar Mike LeDonne, Hammond organ Earl May, bass Ed Locke, drums
The Mellow Side Of Clifford Jordan Mapleshade Records 05032 recorded 1987 through 1991	Clifford Jordan, soprano sax, tenor sax Carter Jefferson, tenor sax Fred Cook, baritone sax Julian Priester, trombone Kenny Reed, trumpet Ruby Turner, guitar Chris Anderson, piano Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Larry Willis, piano Edison Machado, drums Nasser Abadey, percussion
Goat Hill Junket Mama MMF1022 recorded April 1998 in New York/USA	Anthony Wilson, guitar John d'Earth, trumpet Art Baron, trombone Jerry Dodgion, reeds Ted Nash, reeds Joe Temperley, reeds Mike LeDonne, piano, B3 organ Danton Boller, bass Jeff Ballard, drums
Jazz Takes on Joni Mitchell Arkadia Jazz 71011	David Lahm, piano Roger Rosenberg, soprano sax, bass clarinet Thomas Chapin, alto sax, flute Vincent Herring, alto sax Richard Centalonza, tenor sax, clarinet Lew Tabackin, tenor sax Ed Neumeister, trombone Jack Schatz, bass trombone Jim O'Connor, trumpet Randy Brecker, trumpet, flugelhorn James Chirillo, guitar Mike LeDonne, organ Mark Feldman, violin William Galison, harmonica Ratzo Harris, bass Peter Herbert, bass Peter Washington, bass Ron Vincent, drums Kenny Washington, drums
Bags Groove Double-Time Records DTRCD 182 recorded February 2001 in Brooklyn, NY/USA	Mike LeDonne, piano, organ Jim Snidero, alto sax, flute Steve Wilson, alto sax Steve Davis, trombone Jim Rotondi, trumpet Steve Nelson, vibes Bob Cranshaw, bass Mickey Roker, drums
Ellington Boulevard Zoho ZM 200411 recorded January 2003 in Paramus, NJ/USA	Greg Skaff, guitar Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Joe Farnsworth, drums
Smokin' Out Loud Savant SCD 2055 recorded November 2003 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Eric Alexander, tenor sax Peter Bernstein, guitar Joe Farnsworth, drums
On Fire Savant SCD 2080 recorded May 2006 live at Smoke in New York City/USA	Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Eric Alexander, tenor sax Peter Bernstein, guitar Joe Farnsworth, drums
Big Weeds Cellar Live Records CL011308 recorded live January 2008 at The Cellar in Vancouver/Canada	Cory Weeds, alto sax, tenor sax Peter Bernstein, guitar Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Joe Farnsworth, drums
Blues for Brother Ray Posi Tone 8045	Jim Rotondi, trumpet Eric Alexander, tenor sax Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Peter Bernstein, guitar Joe Farnsworth, drums
Mighty Long Way Enja ENJ 95222 recorded March 2008 in Dobbs Ferry, NY/USA	Alvin Queen, drums Jesse Davis, alto sax Terell Stafford, trumpet, flugelhorn Peter Bernstein, guitar Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Elias Bailey, bass Neil Clarke, percussion, congas
The Groover Savant SCD 2100 recorded October 2009 in River Edge, NJ/USA	Mike LeDonne, organ Eric Alexander, tenor sax Peter Bernstein, guitar Joe Farnsworth, drums
Keep The Face Savant SCD 2114 recorded April 2011 in USA	Mike LeDonne, organ Eric Alexander, tenor sax Peter Bernstein, guitar Joe Farnsworth, drums
Smul's Paradise Capri Records 74113-2 recorded April 2011 in River Edge, NJ/USA	Gary Smulyan, baritone sax Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Peter Bernstein, guitar Kenny Washington, drums
Up A Step Cellar Live Records CL102811 recorded October 2011	Cory Weeds, tenor sax Oliver Gannon, guitar Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Jesse Cahill, drums
I Love Music Savant SCD 2135 recorded July 2013 in USA	Mike LeDonne, organ Eric Alexander, tenor sax Peter Bernstein, guitar Joe Farnsworth, drums
Condition Blue Cellar Live Records CL111214 recorded November 2014 in Paramus, NJ/USA	Cory Weeds, alto sax Peter Bernstein, guitar Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Joe Farnsworth, drums
AwwlRIGHT! Savant SCD 2148 recorded 2015	Mike LeDonne, organ Eric Alexander, tenor sax Peter Bernstein, guitar Joe Farnsworth, drums Bob Cranshaw, bass Jeremy Pelt, trumpet
That Feelin' Savant SCD 2159 recorded 2016	Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Eric Alexander, tenor sax Vincent Herring, alto sax Peter Bernstein, guitar Joe Farnsworth, drums
Let's Groove Cellar Live Records CL041017	Cory Weeds, alto sax Steve Kaldestad, tenor sax Dave Sikula, guitar Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Jason Tiemann, drums Liam MacDonald, percussion
From The Heart Savant SCD 2168 recorded 2018 (?) in USA	Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Eric Alexander, tenor sax Peter Bernstein, guitar Joe Farnsworth, drums Mike Clark, drums
Cobb's Pocket Scholz Productions recorded in New York City/USA	Hendrik Meurkens, harmonica Peter Bernstein, guitar Mike LeDonne, organ Jimmy Cobb, drums
Live At "De Witte" OAP Records OAPR1901 recorded live 08 April At "De Witte" in Den Haag/The Netherlands	Vincent Herring, alto sax Martien Oster, guitar Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Hans Braber, drums
O Sole Mio! Cellar Live CM100619 recorded October 2019 in Vancouver/Canada	Cory Weeds, alto sax Eric Alexander, tenor sax Mike LeDonne, Hammond B-3 organ Peter Bernstein, guitar Joe Farnsworth, drums
It's All Your Fault Savant SCD2183 recorded February 2020 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Mike LeDonne's Big Band (Tracks: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6): Mike LeDonne, organ Steve Wilson, alto sax Jim Snidero, alto sax Eric Alexander, tenor sax Scott Robinson, tenor sax Jason Marshall, baritone sax Mark Patterson, trombone Steve Davis, trombone Dion Tucker, trombone Doug Purviance, trombone Jon Faddis, trumpet Frank Greene, trumpet Joe Magnarelli, trumpet Joshua Bruneau, trumpet Peter Bernstein, guitar John Webber, bass Joe Farnsworth, drums Mike LeDonne's Groover Quartet (Tracks: 4, 7, 8): Mike LeDonne, organ Eric Alexander, tenor sax Peter Bernstein, guitar Joe Farnsworth, drums
Wonderful Cellar Live CM 032323 recorded in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Mike LeDonne, Hammond organ Vincent Herring, alto sax Eric Alexander, tenor sax Peter Bernstein, guitar Joe Farnsworth, drums Daniel Sadownik, percussion Gospel Choir

contact:	mledonne@earthlink.net
homepage:	www.mikeledonne.net
	Click on the logo to see Mike's tour dates.

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