Art by Tim Foley
Leonard Feather
Piano, Writer · born 13 September 1914 – died 22 September 1994
▸ Click for Richard Cook Bio
Feather was the first jazz everyman. A Londoner by birth, he studied piano and clarinet at college and was soon in the thick of the London music scene of the early 30s. By 1934 he was a regular Melody Maker correspondent and he began visiting New York the following year. He discovered George Shearing (and produced his first London sessions in 1938) and advised Benny Carter to come to London. From 1940 he lived in America, becoming a citizen in 1948, and he became a familiar byline all over the American press, from Down Beat to Esquire, as well as broadcasting, organizing recording sessions, and occasionally composing and playing himself – mostly variations on the blues, such as 'Evil Gal Blues' for Dinah Washington and 'Jumping For Jane' for Coleman Hawkins. Leonard got embroiled in the bop vs tradition arguments in the 40s (he was on the side of the boppers), and he invented the famous Blindfold Test, where a musician is asked to comment on records without being told who the performers are – variations on this continue in the music press to this day. In 1960, Feather moved to Los Angeles and worked from there for the rest of his life. His Encyclopedia Of Jazz, first published in 1955, was one of the great jazz reference works of its day. Leonard never stopped hobnobbing with the players of the music he loved. Some unkind things were said about him over the years – such as a suggestion that he was auditioning for a place on the right hand of God – but he was a master professional in his field and a real gentleman.
Biography from Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia (2005).
If you'd like more information, check out The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (2002) or The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz (2007), both of which are still in print.
Liner notes by Leonard Feather
1955
Cannonball Adderley - Julian Cannonball Adderley
1956
Miles Davis - Volume One
Miles Davis - Volume Two
Bud Powell - The Amazing Bud Powell, Volume One
Bud Powell - The Amazing Bud Powell, Volume Two
Jay Jay Johnson - The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume One
Jay Jay Johnson - The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume Two
The Jazz Messengers - At The Café Bohemia, Volume One
The Jazz Messengers - At The Cafe Bohemia, Volume Two
Milt Jackson - And the Thelonious Monk Quintet
Thad Jones - Detroit-New York Junction
Jutta Hipp - At the Hickory House, Volume One
Art Blakey - A Night at Birdland, Volume One
Art Blakey - A Night at Birdland, Volume Two
Kenny Burrell - Introducing Kenny Burrell
Jimmy Smith - At The Organ, Volume Three
Clifford Brown - Memorial Album
1957
Ruby Braff - Featuring Dave McKenna
Lars Gullin - Baritone Sax
Jutta Hipp - At the Hickory House, Volume Two
Horace Silver - Horace Silver Trio and Art Blakey - Sabu
Kenny Dorham - 'Round About Midnight at the Café Bohemia
Thad Jones - The Magnificent Thad Jones
Jimmy Smith - At Club Baby Grand, Volume One
Jimmy Smith - At Club Baby Grand, Volume Two
Jutta Hipp - With Zoot Sims
Fats Navarro - The Fabulous Fats Navarro, Volume One
Fats Navarro - The Fabulous Fats Navarro, Volume Two
Paul Chambers Sextet - Whims of Chambers
Kenny Dorham - Afro-Cuban
J.R. Monterose - J.R. Monterose
Lou Donaldson - Quartet Quintet Sextet
Lee Morgan - Indeed!
Horace Silver - 6 Pieces of Silver
Hank Mobley - With Donald Byrd and Lee Morgan
Lee Morgan - Lee Morgan Sextet
Sonny Rollins - Sonny Rollins, Volume One
Kenny Burrell - Kenny Burrell
Hank Mobley - And His All Stars
Thad Jones - The Magnificent Thad Jones, Volume Three
Jimmy Smith - Plays Pretty Just For You
Bud Powell - Bud! The Amazing Bud Powell, Volume Three
Horace Silver – Silver’s Blue
Bud Powell Trio - Strictly Powell
1958
George Wallington - Knight Music
Curtis Fuller - Bone & Bari
Lee Morgan - City Lights
Sonny Clark - Sonny's Crib
Sonny Clark - Sonny Clark Trio
Sonny Rollins - A Night at the Village Vanguard
Louis Smith - Here Comes Louis Smith
Jimmy Smith - Groovin' at Smalls' Paradise
Jimmy Smith - Groovin' at Smalls' Paradise
Bennie Green - Back on the Scene
Horace Silver Quintet - Further Explorations
Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else
Bud Powell - Time Waits: The Amazing Bud Powell
1959
Horace Silver Quintet – Finger Poppin’
Jimmy Smith - The Sounds of Jimmy Smith
The 3 Sounds - The 3 Sounds
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Bud Powell - The Scene Changes
The Three Sounds - Bottoms Up
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - At the Jazz Corner of the World, Vol. 1
1960
Dizzy Reece - Star Bright
Donald Byrd - Fuego
Horace Parlan - Movin' & Groovin'
Jimmy Smith - Crazy! Baby
Harold Land - The Fox
1961
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - At the Jazz Corner of the World, Vol. 2
Duke Pearson - Tender Feelin's
1962
Art Pepper Quintet - Smack Up
1965
Elvin Jones - And Then Again
Dexter Gordon - One Flight Up
1966
Shelly Manne - Boss Sounds!
1967
Cannonball Adderley - 74 Miles Away