Mike LeDonne

Mike LeDonne, a skilled jazz pianist and specialist on the Hammond B-3, has drawn acclaim for his robustly swinging contributions alongside major jazz figures as well as through his own trio and the Groover Quartet. He reached New York in the early 1980s and quickly established himself as a steady member of the Milt Jackson Quartet and the Widespread Depression Orchestra while also working as a sideman for legends that included Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, and Benny Golson. Additional recording dates with Joshua Redman, Jim Snidero, and Eric Alexander complemented his own straight-ahead leader projects such as the 1988 release Bout Time, the 1993 album Soulmates, and 2005’s Night Song. LeDonne further directs his own funky Hammond organ ensemble, the Groover Quartet, whose lineup features saxophonist Eric Alexander, guitarist Peter Bernstein, and drummer Joe Farnsworth; the group has issued recordings including 2010’s The Groover and 2016’s That Feelin’.

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1956, LeDonne developed an early passion for music while spending time among the albums in his parents’ store. His father, a guitarist, sparked his interest in jazz and arranged piano instruction beginning at age five. By ten, LeDonne already possessed sufficient command to appear on his father’s gigs. Following high school he refined his technique at Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music and, after graduating in 1979, relocated to New York, where he performed with the Widespread Depression Orchestra and traveled to the U.K. alongside Panama Francis and the Savoy Sultans. Back in New York during the early 1980s he became the house pianist at the noted club Jimmy Ryan’s. In that setting he encountered and accompanied an array of jazz masters including Roy Eldridge, Papa Jo Jones, and Vic Dickenson, toured with the Benny Goodman sextet, and collaborated with Buddy Tate, Ruby Braff, Art Farmer, James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sonny Rollins as well as vocalists Annie Ross and Etta Jones. He joined the Milt Jackson Quartet in 1988 and assumed the role of musical director following Jackson’s death in 1999.

As a leader LeDonne began documenting his work in 1988 with the post-bop Criss Cross debut Bout Time, which included trumpeter and flugelhornist Tom Harrell, baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan, bassist Dennis Erwin, and drummer Kenny Washington. Further Criss Cross albums appeared through the early and mid-1990s, reaching a high point with the sextet recording Soulmates, a straight-ahead session spotlighting soloists alto saxophonist Jon Gordon, tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman, and trumpeter Ryan Kisor. During the same span he participated in sessions alongside Chris Flory, Duke Robillard, and others. LeDonne moved to the Double Time label in 1998 for the trio album To Each His Own featuring bassist Peter Washington and drummer Mickey Roker. He next honored vibraphonist Jackson with 2001’s Bags Groove: A Tribute to Milt Jackson, enlisting saxophonist Jim Snidero, trumpeter Jim Rotondi, altoist Steve Wilson, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Roker. The 2004 Savant release Smokin’ Out Loud placed LeDonne’s Hammond B-3 organ work in the foreground with tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, guitarist Peter Bernstein, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. Remaining with Savant, he followed a year later with the trio date Night Song that paired him with bassist Ron Carter and drummer Farnsworth. On Fire appeared in 2006 and again highlighted LeDonne’s organ playing alongside Alexander, Bernstein, and Farnsworth. FiveLive arrived in 2008, capturing the pianist live at New York’s club Smoke with Alexander, Farnsworth, bassist John Webber, and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt.

In 2010 LeDonne continued his exploration of organ jazz on The Groover, documenting the long-standing unit referred to as the Groover Quartet with saxophonist Alexander, guitarist Bernstein, and drummer Farnsworth. The same personnel supported 2011’s Keep the Faith, 2014’s I Love Music, and 2015’s AwwlRIGHT!, the last of which also incorporated Bob Cranshaw and Jeremy Pelt. LeDonne expanded the Groover Quartet by adding saxophonist Vincent Herring for 2016’s That Feelin’ and returned two years later with From the Heart. In 2019 he recorded the trio album Partners in Time with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Lewis Nash.