Leon Breeden
Harold Leon Breeden (born October 3, 1921 in Guthrie (Oklahoma) , † August 11, 2010 in Dallas , Texas ) was an American jazz musician ( saxophone , clarinet , arrangement , composition ), big band leader and university teacher .
Breeden grew up in Wichita Falls , Texas, where his parents ran a gas station. He learned the clarinet as a child. Even before serving in the military, he earned a bachelor's and master's degree in music education from Texas Christian University. During World War II he played in the 69th Infantry Division Band . After his discharge from the army, he worked as a teacher and leader of college bands, first at the Texas Christian and later at another Texas high school, before he directed the jazz program at the University of North Texas from 1959 to 1981 . He also worked there with the student band One O'Clock Lab Band , the most famous of his nine big bands ; it was also the first college band to be nominated for a Grammy .
His students include musicians such as Lou Marini , Marvin Stamm , John Riley and members of the Stan Kenton and Woody Herman big bands. Under his direction, the One O'Clock Lab Band played in the White House in 1967 , along with Stan Getz and Duke Ellington , toured worldwide and performed at the 1970 Montreux Jazz Festival . In the late 1970s, Breeden accompanied the band Ella Fitzgerald on a tour and various jazz festivals.
Discographic notes
- The Best of One O'Clock (Amazing Records, 1992)
- Live in Portugal (North Texas Jazz, 1993)
literature
swell
- Obituary in the New York Times (accessed August 15, 2010)
- Discographic entry at Allmusic (accessed August 15, 2010)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Breeden, Leon |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Breeden, Harold Leon (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz musician and university professor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 3, 1921 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Guthrie (Oklahoma) |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 11, 2010 |
| Place of death | Dallas |