Feather, Leonard, 1914-1994

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

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