Opening this year’s festival week, the Michael Leonhart Orchestra will perform selections from Michael Leonhart’s acclaimed Miles Davis Suite along with music by John Coltrane, honoring the centennials of two of the most influential artists in jazz history. Drawing on the breadth of Davis’s and Coltrane’s groundbreaking careers, the program features fresh orchestrations of iconic works as well as lesser-known treasures, alongside original compositions by Leonhart.
Grammy-winning trumpeter, composer, arranger, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Michael Leonhart is one of the most versatile voices in contemporary music. A longtime member of Steely Dan since 1996, he has performed, arranged, conducted, and recorded with the band, including on the four-time Grammy Award-winning Two Against Nature. He is also a frequent collaborator of Elvis Costello, serving as arranger, orchestrator, conductor, and musical partner on numerous projects, including Costello’s recent collaboration with the storied WDR Big Band. Leonhart’s expansive career has included work with artists such as Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, James Brown, Yoko Ono, David Byrne, and Meryl Streep. Leonhart appears on the Grammy Award-winning hit “Uptown Funk” and has composed music for film, television, and the stage.
Alongside his work as a sought-after collaborator, he continues to develop ambitious large-ensemble projects with the Michael Leonhart Orchestra, earning acclaim for music that bridges jazz tradition and contemporary composition.
Doors open at 4:30 PM
Purchase tickets
Rizzoli Bookstore
1133 Broadway
New York, NY 10010