Michael Leonhart


Michael Leonhart is an American jazz trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist.

Solo career

In 1992 Leonhart was honored with the first Grammy Award for outstanding high school musician in the US. He was the youngest Grammy recipient to date. He was 17 years old. In February of the same year ABC World News named him Person of the Week.
Leonhart has performed with Steely Dan since 1996, recording two albums with them, including 2000's Grammy winning Album of the Year Two Against Nature on which he was a featured soloist, arranger, and conductor. He co-produced Donald Fagen's fourth solo album, Sunken Condos.
He recorded with Yoko Ono as a featured member of The Plastic Ono Band in 2009 for her album, Between My Head and the Sky and again in 2013 on her album Take Me to the Land of Hell. He played with Monkey House on two albums: Headquarters and Left.
In 2015, he collaborated with the Antibalas and The Dap-Kings horn sections, Mark Ronson, and Bruno Mars to record "Uptown Funk" and other tracks on the album Uptown Special.
He has also worked with A Tribe Called Quest, John Barry, James Brown, Busta Rhymes, David Byrne, Mos Def, DJ Spooky, Brian Eno, Bill Frisell, Levon Helm, Lenny Kravitz, Arto Lindsay, Henry Mancini, Arif Mardin, Wynton Marsalis, Michael McDonald, Bobby McFerrin, Natalie Merchant, Q-Tip, Raekwon, Bonnie Raitt, Joshua Redman, Todd Rundgren, Skizm, Slash, Steven Tyler, Caetano Veloso, and Bill Withers.

Michael Leonhart & the Avramina 7

After 40 plus recordings as the house trumpet player for Truth and Soul Records, the Brooklyn-based funk and soul label released Leonhart's heavy-funk concept album Seahorse and the Storyteller in 2009.

Personal life

Michael Leonhart is the son of jazz bassist Jay Leonhart and the brother of vocalist Carolyn Leonhart.

Discography

As leader

Aardvark Poses Glub Glub Vol. 11 Slow The Suzy Lattimore EP The Ballad of Minton Quigley Hotel Music Seahorse & the Storyteller The Painted Lady Suite Suite Extracts Vol. 1 The Normyn Suites
With JSWISSThe Alchemy EP
  • ''Bona Fide''

As sideman or guest

With Vinicius CantuariaSol Na Cara Tucuma Vinicius Horse and Fish Cymbals
With Jay LeonhartThe Double Cross Galaxies and Planets Rodgers & Leonhart
With others