A superior bassist, Jay Leonhart has also had a parallel and sometimes overlapping career as a witty lyricist and occasional singer.

As a child he attended the Peabody Conservatory (1946-50) and by the time he went to the Berklee College of Music (1959-61), Leonhart was a jazz musician. He played with Buddy Morrow (1961) and Mike Longo (1962-63) and then became a busy freelance musician in New York. Among Leonhardt's many associations were Marian McPartland (with whom he recorded in 1971), Jim Hall, Urbie Green, Chuck Wayne (1976), Phil Woods, Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz, Don Sebesky, Louie Bellson and pianist Mike Renzi.

Ray Gallon

Pianist Ray Gallon, a native New Yorker, has been a mainstay of the jazz scene for over three decades. Rooted in bebop and blues, his expressive, swinging playing, as well as his distinctive compositions, meld old and new into a fresh, original style. Mentored by legendary jazz pianists John Lewis, Jaki Byard, and Hank Jones, Ray has toured the world and/or recorded with a long list of jazz luminaries, including Ron Carter, Lionel Hampton, Art Farmer, George Adams, Les Paul, Benny Golson, and Wycliffe Gordon, and has appeared at gala events at the White House and the Kennedy Center with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Sweets Edison, and Joe Williams. Ray has also accompanied many vocal greats, including Jon Hendricks, Sheila Jordan, Grady Tate, and Chaka Khan. Ray’s new trio album, Grand Company, with Maestro Ron Carter and Lewis Nash, due to be released this November on Cellar Music, is already being lauded by Grammy-winning pianist Bill Charlap. Ray’s previous release for Cellar, the highly acclaimed trio album Make Your Move, featuring the stellar rhythm section of David Wong and Kenny Washington, was enthusiastically praised by none other than Ahmad Jamal. Involved in education, Ray is currently a Lecturer of Jazz Studies at The City College of New York and has led workshops and master classes throughout North America and Europe.