Leo's "Bluesland" is on the air Thursday 8-10
PM on KCSB 91.9 FM and also
web streams at
PM on KCSB 91.9 FM and also
web streams at
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Additional
Carl Sonny Leyland
Carl Sonny Leyland was born & raised on the
South Coast of England, growing up close to the
city of Southampton. As a child he was drawn to
the American music which he heard on LP
records his father would play. It was here that he
developed an appreciation for Dixieland jazz, the
rock & roll of the 1950s & the country music of
Jimmie Rodgers & Hank Williams.
At age 15 Leyland discovered boogie woogie
when he heard a school friend working through a
written arrangement of a tune called JD's Boogie
Woogie (Marvin Wright). Captivated by the sound
of the repeating 8 to the bar left hand pattern,
Leyland was inspired to go to the piano & begin
on a path that would become his life's purpose.
Within 3 months he would be performing in public
& shortly after would become a member of a
respected local group "The Bob Pearce Blues
Band."
Initially influenced by boogie woogie greats Albert
Ammons, Pete Johnson & Meade 'Lux' Lewis,
Leyland went on to fully explore the piano blues
genre, becoming an authority on early & obscure
styles such as those played by Cow Cow
Davenport, Little Brother Montgomery, Montana
Taylor & Speckled Red to name a few.
In 1988 Leyland had the opportunity to come to
the USA. This initial visit to New Orleans inspired
him to relocate to that city where he would spend
the next nine years. During that time he was
active on the club scene, quickly gaining a
reputation for his authentic blues & early rock &
roll stylings. Also, he toured with the Dallas based
band Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets whose
line up included blues great Sam Myers.
In 1997, feeling the need for a change, Leyland
relocated to Southern California. He joined Big
Sandy & His Flyrite Boys, the well known
rockabilly & western swing group & toured with
them for over three years.
By this time his repertoire had expanded to
include ragtime & early jazz styles which enabled
him to become part of the traditional jazz scene
around Los Angeles & San Diego. In June of 2003
the Carl Sonny Leyland Trio was formed with
drummer Hal Smith & bassist Marty Eggers. There
was such a natural synergy between the three
musicians that a recording of their first
performance was good enough to issue on a cd
(Broadway Boogie - now out of print) Their
versatile combination has proven successful over
the years. They have recorded six cds to date
(including a collaboration with Nathan James &
Ben Hernandez) & continue to work steadily on
the festival scene.
Leyland has also continued his involvement with
the rockabilly scene & plays each year in the
backing band at Viva Las Vegas & more recently
at the Rockabilly Rave USA. In this capacity he
has worked with such notables as Janis Martin,
Ruth Brown, Billy Lee Riley & Carl Mann.
Whether playing solo or with his trio, Leyland's
playing displays an infectious spontaneity,
providing plenty of surprises for the listener.
While he possesses the necessary vocabulary to
pay tribute to the greats of old, he refuses to be
limit himself to this & prefers to let each
performance be an opportunity to say something
new.
http://carlsonnyleyland.com