Feather, Leonard, 1914-1994

Name Entries

Information

person

Name Entries *

Feather, Leonard, 1914-1994

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

Feather

Forename :

Leonard

Date :

1914-1994

eng

Latn

authorizedForm

rda

Feather, Leonard G., 1914-1994

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

Feather

Forename :

Leonard G.

Date :

1914-1994

eng

Latn

alternativeForm

rda

Feather, Leonard (Leonard G.), 1914-1994

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

Feather

Forename :

Leonard

NameExpansion :

Leonard G.

Date :

1914-1994

eng

Latn

alternativeForm

rda

Feather, Leonard Geoffrey, 1914-1994

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

Feather

Forename :

Leonard Geoffrey

Date :

1914-1994

eng

Latn

alternativeForm

rda

Feather, L. G., 1914-1994

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

Feather

Forename :

L. G.

Date :

1914-1994

eng

Latn

alternativeForm

rda

Genders

Exist Dates

Exist Dates - Date Range

1914-09-13

1914-09-13

Birth

1994-09-22

1994-09-22

Death

Show Fuzzy Range Fields

Biographical History

Composer, producer, pianist, and jazz journalist Leonard Geoffrey Feather was born in London, UK, on September 13, 1914. In the 1930s, he arranged, composed, and produced jazz sessions, and began to write about jazz for print media. He moved to New York City in 1935 and worked with Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Duke Ellington, establishing his reputation in various fields of jazz. He wrote for famous jazz journals and various books on jazz, and was particularly influential in promoting Bebop. In 1946, while working for Metronome, Feather created the blindfold test, an interview (with, most often, a jazz musician) during which Feather would play ten or twelve jazz tunes in current release and ask the interviewee for an on the spot review. The column moved with Feather to Down beat a few years later and remains one of that magazine's most popular features. Feather moved to Los Angeles in 1960, and became the chief jazz critic for the Los Angeles Times. He died on September 22, 1994.

From the description of Leonard Feather jazz collection, 1914-1994. (University of Idaho Library). WorldCat record id: 173846579

Leonard Geoffrey Feather was born in Hampstead, London, in 1914. He relocated to New York City in 1939. Journalist, producer, and composer, Mr. Feather is best known as a jazz critic. He wrote several books about jazz, including Inside Be-Bop (1949), the Encyclopedia of Jazz (1960), and the Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz, co-written with Ira Gitler, which was published posthumously, in 1999. His compositions include songs such as "Evil Gal Blues," "Blowtop Blues," "Mighty Like the Blues," and "How Blue Can You Get." Leonard created the "Blindfold Test" for Metronome magazine and later for DownBeat magazine. The test also became a segment of Feather's radio show "Platterbrains." It consisted of artists listening to a recording, without knowledge of the performer and then offering an opinion, this process often resulting in surprising results. He moved to Los Angeles in 1960 and critiqued jazz for the Los Angeles Times until his death. Mr. Feather died in Sherman Oaks, California, in 1994. For further information, see The Leonard Feather Scrapbooks, a website created by his daughter Lorraine Feather.

From the guide to the Leonard Feather Papers, 1900-1999, 1935-1990, (University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives)

eng

Latn

External Related CPF

https://viaf.org/viaf/33238292

https://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n50001002

https://id.loc.gov/authorities/n50001002

https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1382271

https://viaf.org/viaf/7810418

Other Entity IDs (Same As)

Sources

Loading ...

Resource Relations

Loading ...

Internal CPF Relations

Loading ...

Languages Used

Subjects

Jazz

Jazz musicians

Journalism

Music

Music critics

Nationalities

Americans

Activities

Occupations

Composers

Legal Statuses

Places

Convention Declarations

<conventionDeclaration><citation>VIAF</citation></conventionDeclaration>

General Contexts

Structure or Genealogies

Mandates

Identity Constellation Identifier(s)

w6vf7r8d

87766881