Featured on Upright Bass is Leon Lee Dorsey, Jaye Maynard-vocals and Jon Delfin-Music Direction usually on Blossom Dearie’s Yamaha Clavinova. Photographed at The HourGlass Tavern on W 46th Street, NYC.
Leon Lee Dorsey-is an American Jazz bassist, arranger, and educator. Most recently at UPitt Jazz Performance as an Asst. Professor. Known for his debut on Landmark records. Leon Lee Dorsey’s fluid and ubiquitous bass has energized Jazz masters Lionel Hampton, and Art Blakey with his Jazz Messengers, as well as Grammy winning Jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson. In addition he has performed under the baton of conducting legends Lukas Foss and Robert Fountain.As composer and arranger, he has performed with jazz luminaries thatinclude: Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, John Lewis, Kenny Clarke, Jon Hendricks, Gloria Lynn, Harry “Sweets” Edison,Dorothy Donegan, Stanley Turrentine, George Benson, Ellis Marsalis, Neena Freelon and Terumasa Hino. Mr. Dorsey made his solo recital debut at Lincoln Center in September1999. Bassist/Composer/Arranger Leon Lee Dorsey is indeed a triple- threat, handling bass-playing, composing and arranging tasks with equal aplomb. He has also performed in big bands with the Smithsonian JazzMasterworks Orchestra, Benny Carter, the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Charlie Persip’s Superband.
Jon Delfin– (pianist) has toured nationally and internationally with “Bob Fosse’s Dancin’,” “The Who’s Tommy,” singers Jane Olivor and Joanne Borts, and the Yiddish/English revue “Paved With Gold” (also cast recording). For five years, he was the assistant musical director for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. In New York City, he has appeared off Broadway playing for “What’s a Nice Country Like You (Doing in a State Like This),” “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” and many workshops. His arrangements can be heard on Aaron
Morishita’s CD, “What More Do I Need? / Songs by Stephen Sondheim.” Jon is a seven-time winner of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, which has led to appearances on “Nightline” and “60 Minutes,” and he is featured in the documentary “Wordplay.” A graduate of Vassar College, he has studied piano, arranging and improvisation with Blanca Uribe, Tony Aless, Jim McNeely, Chuck Israels, Bill Dobbins and Don Sebesky.
Jaye Maynard– a proud Wisconsin native, Jaye received her Master of Arts in Vocal Performance at New York University and her undergrad from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. She has performed bi-coastally at FringeNYC – Lucile Lortel Theater, Midtown International Theater Festival and with NYMF at Atlantic Stage 2. Additionally she has graced the stages of such theaters as The Algonquin Hotel’s Oak Room – Peccadillo Theatre Co, Park Slope’s Gallery Players, Prospect Theatre Company, Don’t Tell Mama and the ArcLight Theater.
She has long championed the self producing artist with her own PlaidBird Productions and Angry Girl Gang Productions and has plans in the works for a solo theater artists consortium. She studies with Shirley Callaway in New York City.
