Mark Ledford

A multi-instrumentalist whose shaved head and broad-ranging session experience let him move fluidly across styles, Mark Ledford waited until 1998 before issuing his first solo recording, the buoyant acid-jazz reworking of Miles Davis material titled Miles 2 Go. On trumpet he adheres to the muted approach associated with Davis, while his vocals echo the vocalese and scat techniques of Jon Hendricks and Bobby McFerrin; he also contributes guitar and drums. Detroit-born, Ledford began with violin before gaining local notice in his teens as a vocal sound-alike for Michael Jackson. Between 1978 and 1982 he attended the Berklee School of Music, concentrating on composition and arranging alongside future notables Branford Marsalis, Kevin Eubanks, and Jeff Watts. Once graduated, he accumulated an eclectic résumé in Boston and New York, serving as music director for Stephanie Mills, occupying trumpet positions with Jon Hendricks and in the Broadway production Sarafina!, crafting jingles, and appearing on sessions with Michael Brecker, Eliane Elias, Bill Evans, and Special EFX. Since 1986 he has intermittently performed on trumpet and additional instruments with Pat Metheny’s groups, and he has lately joined Bobby McFerrin’s a cappella ensemble Circle.