The Jazz Sanctuary

Performing America's Great Music Invention - JAZZ

Leon Jordan Sr.

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Leon Jordan Sr. has more than 35 years of experience as a full time professional musician and percussionist touring and recording with various well known jazz and R&B artists. Leon Sr. can be heard on more than one hundred and twenty five published recordings to date as a sideman performing jazz, pop, gospel, Latin and even country and folk music. From about the mid 1980’s through the 90’s, Leon Sr. toured and/or recorded extensively with; Grover Washington Jr., John Blake Jr., Phyllis Hyman, Benny Golson, Chaka Kahn, The Stylistics, Lou Rawls, Monette Sudler, Joey DeFrancesco, George Benson, Roy Ayres and featured with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra just to name a few. Leon Sr. also appeared in ensemble and orchestral performances for the touring companies of ​Ain’t Misbehavin ​ , ​Five Guys Named Moe and ​Purlie ​ and served as a music contractor and performer for the Prince Theater. Since 1994 Leon Jordan Sr. has performed teaching workshops and master classes for; The School District of Philadelphia, Trenton Community Music School, Mt Airy Cultural Center, Christina Cultural Arts Center, Graterford Prison, the Jazz Institute of New Jersey and several local and out-of-state colleges. His ensemble conducts ​A Jazz Journey for Youth assembly program, ​Fundamentals of Jazz ​ residency​, ​ and jazz and percussion workshop sessions. Leon has been a presenter with Musicopia’s roster since 2002, and currently leads several ensembles including the bucket drumming ensemble which can include 50 or more students. His workshops have developed pioneering teaching techniques for special needs students and brain injured adults that have been recognized by the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts and duplicated nationally. Leon is currently the founder and leader of the Renaissance Orchestra, based in Philadelphia and can be found weekly hosting the open mic each Tuesday at SOUTH nightclub on north Broad St. Philadelphia.

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THE RENAISSANCE ORCHESTRA

1-267-475-8305

Delaware Valley’s (Philadelphia Metro) premier party band

TEACHING CREDITS:

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1986-1988 Philadelphia School District, Philadelphia, PA

  • Organized and delivered African-American music educational programs

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1988-1989 Chicago Children’s Festival, Chicago, IL

  • Pittsburgh Children’s Festival, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Conducted jazz workshops

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1990-1991 Christina Cultural Arts Center, Wilmington, DE

  • Percussion instructor

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1997-2000 Mount Airy Cultural Center, Philadelphia, PA

  • Ensemble director and percussion instructor

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1998-2003 Sedgwick Cultural Center, Philadelphia, PA

  • Artistic director 1999-2000 Red Clay School District Wilmington, DE
  • Percussion instructor, workshop coordinator

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1999-2003 Trenton Community Music School, Trenton, NJ

  • Percussion instructor and director of outreach programs

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2001, New Jersey Jazz Institute, New Brunswick, NJ

  • Percussion instructor

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2002-current Strings for Schools/Musicopia, Philadelphia Area, PA

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