Time: 60:46
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Soul Jazz, Vocals
Art: Front
01. Please Send Me Someone To Love (5:56)
02. Work Song (5:46)
03. Mean To Me (3:08)
04. These Foolish Things (5:26)
05. Wade In The Water (4:16)
06. So In Love (5:40)
07. L's Blues (7:10)
08. Brother, Can You Spare A Dime (6:14)
09. The Cat (6:03)
10. Goodnight, My Love (5:24)
11. Moanin' (5:39)
Leonieke started to play piano after being inspired by “Ray,” a movie based on the life of Ray Charles. Without any prior musical training, she began to spend great lengths of time at the piano
creating pieces that were rhythmically interesting and compositionally balanced. She was 5 or 6.
At age 7, Leonieke recorded a handful of pieces including two of her own compositions. This was brought to the attention of Steve Ash, a highly respected Jazz pianist, who then agreed to take her on as a student. She has been with him ever since.
As her love of Jazz, Blues, Soul and Gospel motivated her to develop her musical skills, Leonieke has received a great deal of attention and has been afforded some wonderful opportunities. Among them, would be winning the 2013 International Women in Jazz “Youth in Action” Award and giving performances at The DiMenna Center, Shanghai Jazz, The Kitano, Silvana’s, Symphony Space, Trumpets and several times at both the Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe and The Watchung Arts Center with the Beacon Hill Jazz Band. In November of 2015, The New Brunswick Jazz Project presented Leonieke’s quartet which included two prominent jazz masters, Bill Easley and Bill Crow.
Besides nightclubs and jazz venues, Leonieke also has performed in many Jazz vespers along with musicians such as Steve Turre (Saturday Night Live Band), Tim Ries (saxophonist/keyboardist for the Rolling Stones), Sharel Cassity, Mark Gross and Steve Davis. She has also performed fundraisers for The Un-Domiciled Project (Brooklyn, NY), Love Notes for the Homeless (Union, N.J.), American Cancer Society (Rockaway, NJ) and The Victoria Soto Memorial Scholarship (Woodstock, CT).
Two of the world’s most respected organists have played pivotal roles in Leonieke’s development. The first is Joey DeFrancesco who introduced her to his Hammond B-3 at Dizzys Club Coca-Cola (Jazz at Lincoln Center) in February of 2011. The second is Dr. Lonnie Smith, who after meeting and hearing a clip of Leonieke, arranged for a Hammond organ to be delivered to her as a gift. Another important influence is Bob Belden, (former A&R Blue Note records). Mr. Belden introduced Leonieke to Herbie Hancock and had become a mentor (Belden) until his untimely passing.
In October of 2013, Leonieke and trombonist, Coleman Hughes were the feature for an hour long special called “The Future of Jazz” over radio station WBGO (the foremost jazz radio station in America). Later that month, she entered the studio of Rudy Van Gelder, widely regarded as the greatest engineer in jazz history, and began recording her first professional album, “Debut”. Among the musicians contributing their talents to this recording is the legendary Jimmy Cobb.
Shortly after it’s release, the legendary jazz club, Birdland, added “Debut” to their house system.
Leonieke was recently named “Best Up & Coming Young Artist” (HotHouse NYC Fans Decision 2015 Awards).
creating pieces that were rhythmically interesting and compositionally balanced. She was 5 or 6.
At age 7, Leonieke recorded a handful of pieces including two of her own compositions. This was brought to the attention of Steve Ash, a highly respected Jazz pianist, who then agreed to take her on as a student. She has been with him ever since.
As her love of Jazz, Blues, Soul and Gospel motivated her to develop her musical skills, Leonieke has received a great deal of attention and has been afforded some wonderful opportunities. Among them, would be winning the 2013 International Women in Jazz “Youth in Action” Award and giving performances at The DiMenna Center, Shanghai Jazz, The Kitano, Silvana’s, Symphony Space, Trumpets and several times at both the Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe and The Watchung Arts Center with the Beacon Hill Jazz Band. In November of 2015, The New Brunswick Jazz Project presented Leonieke’s quartet which included two prominent jazz masters, Bill Easley and Bill Crow.
Besides nightclubs and jazz venues, Leonieke also has performed in many Jazz vespers along with musicians such as Steve Turre (Saturday Night Live Band), Tim Ries (saxophonist/keyboardist for the Rolling Stones), Sharel Cassity, Mark Gross and Steve Davis. She has also performed fundraisers for The Un-Domiciled Project (Brooklyn, NY), Love Notes for the Homeless (Union, N.J.), American Cancer Society (Rockaway, NJ) and The Victoria Soto Memorial Scholarship (Woodstock, CT).
Two of the world’s most respected organists have played pivotal roles in Leonieke’s development. The first is Joey DeFrancesco who introduced her to his Hammond B-3 at Dizzys Club Coca-Cola (Jazz at Lincoln Center) in February of 2011. The second is Dr. Lonnie Smith, who after meeting and hearing a clip of Leonieke, arranged for a Hammond organ to be delivered to her as a gift. Another important influence is Bob Belden, (former A&R Blue Note records). Mr. Belden introduced Leonieke to Herbie Hancock and had become a mentor (Belden) until his untimely passing.
In October of 2013, Leonieke and trombonist, Coleman Hughes were the feature for an hour long special called “The Future of Jazz” over radio station WBGO (the foremost jazz radio station in America). Later that month, she entered the studio of Rudy Van Gelder, widely regarded as the greatest engineer in jazz history, and began recording her first professional album, “Debut”. Among the musicians contributing their talents to this recording is the legendary Jimmy Cobb.
Shortly after it’s release, the legendary jazz club, Birdland, added “Debut” to their house system.
Leonieke was recently named “Best Up & Coming Young Artist” (HotHouse NYC Fans Decision 2015 Awards).
In The Studio
