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Malcolm Rebennack, a pianist, guitarist, singer, and New
Orleans music icon best known as Dr. John, died of a
heart attack on June 6 at his home in Lake Pontchartrain,
La. He was 77. Raised in the Third Ward of New Orleans,
Rebennack became a professional musician in his teens,
beginning a career that would span over 60 years and
include a Top 10 hit, six Grammys, and an induction into
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1968, after years of
work as a sideman and session musician, he released his
own first album under the name Dr. John, the Night Trip-
per—a reference to a 19th-century Crescent City voodoo
priest. His In a Sentimental Mood (1989) showed he had
an affinity for jazz standards. Later in life, he paid tribute
to Duke Ellington on Duke Elegant (1999). Dr. John’s last
public appearance was at the New Orleans Jazz Festival
in 2017; a final album, recorded with Willie Nelson and
others, is complete but no release date has been set.Alan “Bo” Leibowitz, whose 40-year tenure as a disc
jockey at KCRW radio made him a staple of jazz broad-
casting, died June 3 in Los Angeles after a long illness.
He was 74. Born in Indianapolis and influenced by his
jazz-loving father, Leibowitz dropped out of the University
in Pennsylvania in 1967 and began his broadcasting ca-
reer at two Boston college stations. In 1979 he moved to
Los Angeles, where he took a day job as a court reporter
so that he could work without pay at KCRW; his Strictly
Jazz program continued there for the next four decades.
Leibowitz retired after his February 16 broadcast with
little fanfare, telling the Pennsylvania Gazette that it was
“Better to go out swinging.”Lawrence “Lo” Leathers, a drummer, two-time Grammy
winner, and beloved member of New York’s modern jazz
scene, was found in a stairwell of his Bronx apartment
building, the victim of an alleged homicide, on June 2.
He was 37. Born in Lansing, Mich., on Nov. 23, 1981,
Leathers began playing drums at two, graduating to
professional performance by the time he was 15. He
was perhaps best known for his work with pianist Aaron
Diehl and vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant. Both of his
Grammys came from his work with Salvant, who won
the honors in 2015 and 2018 for her albums For One to
Love and Dreams and Daggers, respectively. Leathers’
death remains under investigation.FAREWELLSMICHAEL LEONHART ORCHESTRA
SUITE EXTRACTS vol. 1
SSC 1555 In Stores 8/DUDUKA DA FONSECA & HELIO ALVES
SAMBA JAZZ & TOM JOBIM
featuringMAUCHA ADNET
guest appearances byWYNTON MARSALIS& CLAUDIO RODITI
SSC 1563 In Stores 8/H
ailed as "a blazing hot mess of awesome" by The New York City Jazz
Record, the Michael Leonhart Orchestra (MLO)traverses a huge
swath of musical terrain, guided by the highly developed ears, ceaseless-
ly omnivorous tastes and playful yet meticulous artistry of its leader,
Michael Leonhart.S
uite Extracts vol.1features notable guests Chris Potter, Nels Cline,
Donny McCaslin, John Ellis, Erik Friedlander and many others in the
context of a vibrant and unclassifiable 20-piece ensemble.B
ossa Nova and the Brazilian jazz tradition continue to flourish, led by
the likes of drummer Duduka Da Fonseca and pianist Helio Alves. With
the addition of the great vocalist Maucha Adnet, the friends have assem-
bled a program of music highlighting the beauty of Brazilian Jazz music.
Their new recording, Samba Jazz & Tom Jobim, was recorded to spread
their passion even further.sunnysiderecords.comDr. John at Jazz
Fest 2011