Biography
Leo Montgomery, an energetic pianist, devoted many years to the Chicago jazz circuit yet produced almost no recordings to document his contributions. Few listeners would encounter this musician to begin with, but his surname distinguishes him from the family that included Wes Montgomery, Buddy Montgomery, and Monk Montgomery. Author John Chilton noted the same distinction in Who's Who in Jazz, adding that Leo Montgomery also shares no relation with bluesman Eurreal "Little Brother" Montgomery.
Like numerous jazz artists, Montgomery maintained a deep affinity for dance that, after the Second World War, largely eclipsed his jazz work and accounts for his sparse recording history. While the conflict continued, he opened dance studios in Chicago, an enterprise that grew into revues and floorshows sometimes requiring him to leave the piano and supervise his dancers from the side. He never abandoned the instrument entirely and still accepted engagements as he neared seventy. The inherent demands of the jazz profession may have reduced his inclination to perform regularly, especially when even the most gifted players created obstacles for their sidemen. Clarinetist Johnny Dodds and his younger brother, drummer Baby Dodds, rank among the music's greatest figures, yet 1940s newspaper reports describe the difficulties their steadfast pianist faced, including one account that began "Johnny Dodds had to have all his teeth pulled," leaving Natty Dominique, Baby Dodds and Leo Montgomery to handle the evening at the 9750 Club, and another from the severe winter of 1940 that noted "Johnny Dodds is playing clarinet again. Partly recovered from his recent serious illness, and reinstated in the musicians' union which recently expelled him for non-payment of dues."
Montgomery's experience with such setbacks may have begun before middle age, though not in childhood; his parents cultivated a strong love of music without entering the profession themselves. Bandleader Hayes Alvis brought the family into professional circles by hiring their pianist son, an association centered in Melrose Park during the Roaring Twenties. Connections to the Dodds brothers followed in the 1930s, as did engagements with violinists Carroll Dickerson and Erskine Tate, the latter lasting several years. Additional work came with Gerald Casey & His Musical Ambassadors early in the decade and with the Freddie Williams band.
Like numerous jazz artists, Montgomery maintained a deep affinity for dance that, after the Second World War, largely eclipsed his jazz work and accounts for his sparse recording history. While the conflict continued, he opened dance studios in Chicago, an enterprise that grew into revues and floorshows sometimes requiring him to leave the piano and supervise his dancers from the side. He never abandoned the instrument entirely and still accepted engagements as he neared seventy. The inherent demands of the jazz profession may have reduced his inclination to perform regularly, especially when even the most gifted players created obstacles for their sidemen. Clarinetist Johnny Dodds and his younger brother, drummer Baby Dodds, rank among the music's greatest figures, yet 1940s newspaper reports describe the difficulties their steadfast pianist faced, including one account that began "Johnny Dodds had to have all his teeth pulled," leaving Natty Dominique, Baby Dodds and Leo Montgomery to handle the evening at the 9750 Club, and another from the severe winter of 1940 that noted "Johnny Dodds is playing clarinet again. Partly recovered from his recent serious illness, and reinstated in the musicians' union which recently expelled him for non-payment of dues."
Montgomery's experience with such setbacks may have begun before middle age, though not in childhood; his parents cultivated a strong love of music without entering the profession themselves. Bandleader Hayes Alvis brought the family into professional circles by hiring their pianist son, an association centered in Melrose Park during the Roaring Twenties. Connections to the Dodds brothers followed in the 1930s, as did engagements with violinists Carroll Dickerson and Erskine Tate, the latter lasting several years. Additional work came with Gerald Casey & His Musical Ambassadors early in the decade and with the Freddie Williams band.
Albums
