Leo Sidran
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Leo Sidran is an American
Latin Grammy The Latin Grammy Awards (stylized as Latin GRAMMYs) are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from any ...
-winning musician,
composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...
, performer, and producer whose credits include co-producing the
Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
-winning song "Al Otro Lado Del Rio" for the soundtrack to the movie '' The Motorcycle Diaries''. Sidran began his career in music early. Having learned to play the
drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
from
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
-
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
percussionist
Clyde Stubblefield Clyde Austin Stubblefield (April 18, 1943 – February 18, 2017) was an American drummer best known for his work with James Brown, with whom he recorded and toured for six years (1965-70). His syncopated drum patterns on Brown's recordings are co ...
, he wrote songs as a teenager for Steve Miller.


Early life and education

Sidran grew up in
Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...
. His father,
Ben Sidran Ben Hirsh Sidran (born August 14, 1943) is an American jazz and rock keyboardist, producer, label owner, and music writer. Early in his career he was a member of the Steve Miller Band and is the father of Grammy-nominated musician, composer and ...
, is a jazz musician, producer and historian. His mother is a
weaver Weaver or Weavers may refer to: Activities * A person who engages in weaving fabric Animals * Various birds of the family Ploceidae * Crevice weaver spider family * Orb-weaver spider family * Weever (or weever-fish) Arts and entertainmen ...
. Leo attended the
University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
, graduating in 1999 with a degree in history and integrated liberal studies. While still in high school, he developed a fascination with Spain and the Spanish language, and moved to
Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
for a year in college. He relocated from Madison to
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
in 2005 and has lived there since.


Early music career

Sidran began playing and writing music at a young age. He wrote his first song, "Pushing and Shoving", when he was six years old, and recorded a demo of the song with his father. The vocal from that demo was later used on the Sidrans' father-son children's music album ''El Elefante''. His first instrument was the drums, and his first teacher was
Clyde Stubblefield Clyde Austin Stubblefield (April 18, 1943 – February 18, 2017) was an American drummer best known for his work with James Brown, with whom he recorded and toured for six years (1965-70). His syncopated drum patterns on Brown's recordings are co ...
. Sidran later produced Stubblefield's solo record ''The Original''. As a drummer, Sidran has recorded on many of his father's records, including ''
Nick's Bump ''Nick's Bump'' is a smooth jazz album by American keyboardist and jazz vocalist Ben Sidran, released in 2004. It is Sidran's twenty sixth album, and his first release by his independent label Nardis Records. Background Although Sidran's reputat ...
'', ''
Don't Cry For No Hipster ''Don't Cry For No Hipster'' is a jazz album by keyboardist and vocalist Ben Sidran. It was recorded in July 2012, and released in 2013 under Sidran's label Nardis Records in the United States, and Bonsaï Music in France. It was Sidran's 35th ...
'', and the
Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
-nominated ''Concert for Garcia Lorca''. The
Steve Miller Band The Steve Miller Band is an American rock music, rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1966. The band is led by Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles ...
recorded Sidran's songs before he had graduated from high school. Miller, a longtime friend and collaborator with his father, taught Sidran to play the guitar. Also while still in high school, Sidran began performing regularly as a jazz drummer with his father. His earliest performances included shows with bassist Richard Davis, saxophonists
Frank Morgan Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous sound ...
and Richie Cole, and guitarist
Phil Upchurch Phillip Upchurch (born July 19, 1941) is an American soul music, R&B, jazz and blues guitarist and bassist. Career Upchurch started his career working with the Kool Gents, the Dells, and the Spaniels, before going on to work with Curtis Mayfiel ...
.


Solo recordings

Sidran released his first solo record, ''Leo and the Depleting Moral Legacy'', while he was in college. The album was a collection of songs he had written mostly in high school, including two songs that had already been recorded by Steve Miller. He played many of the instruments and mixed the record;
Paul Peterson Paul Joseph Peterson (born October 18, 1964), also known as St. Paul Peterson, is a singer and musician best known for his memberships in the bands The Family and The Time. Life and career Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Peterson was the you ...
,
Ricky Peterson Ricky may refer to: Places *Říčky, a municipality and village in the Czech Republic *Říčky, a village and part of Orlické Podhůří in the Czech Republic *Říčky v Orlických horách, a municipality and village in the Czech Republic *Ri ...
, and
Steve Marker Steven W. Marker (born March 16, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the co–founder and guitarist of the alternative rock band Garbage. Previously an audio engineer for the band Fire Town with future ...
also contributed. After returning from Spain, Sidran recorded two bilingual solo albums. In 1998 he recorded ''L. Sid'' in
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
with a studio band including Anthony Cox, Gordy Knudtson and
Bob Malach Bob Malach (born August 23, 1954) is an American jazz saxophonist. Malach learned several reed instruments in his youth, and played with Philadelphia soul bands such as The Stylistics and The O'Jays while still a teenager. He played in the big ...
. In 2003 he released ''Bohemia'', an album recorded in Madison and
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, and featuring appearances by Spanish artists including
Jorge Drexler Jorge Abner Drexler Prada (born September 21, 1964) is a Uruguayan musician and actor. In 2004, Drexler won wide acclaim after becoming the first Uruguayan to win an Academy Award, which he won for composing the song " Al Otro Lado del Río" f ...
,
Ana Laan Ana Serrano van der Laan (born 10 February 1967), known professionally as Ana Laan, is a singer-songwriter born in Madrid, Spain. She composes in English, Spanish and Swedish, with a smattering of French. Biography Born in Madrid, Spain, ...
, and
Tino di Geraldo Tino di Geraldo (born Faustino Fernández Fernández in 1960) is a French-Spanish percussionist, tabla player, drummer, and producer. He is one of Spain's leading flamenco and jazz percussionists, bringing classical and jazz influences to flamenco ...
, and American collaborators including
Freedy Johnston Freedy Johnston (born Frederic John Fatzer in 1961) is an American singer-songwriter based in New York City. Originally from Kinsley, Kansas, Johnston's songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation, an ...
, Holly Brook, and
Howard Levy Howard Levy (born July 31, 1951) is an American musician. A keyboardist and virtuoso harmonica player, he "has been realistically presented as one of the most important and radical harmonica innovators of the twentieth century." In 1988, Le ...
. Sidran's fourth solo record, ''Mucho Leo'', was released in October 2014 and featured the song "Speak To Me In Spanish". It was followed in 2018 by a tribute to Michael Franks called ''Cool School (The Music Of Michael Franks)'' which was recorded in New York and Paris and featured a duet performed between Sidran and Franks.


Productions

During the process of recording ''Bohemia'', Sidran became friendly with Jorge Drexler and Ana Laan, and eventually went on to produce and perform regularly with both. He co-produced Laan's ''Oregano'' and ''Chocolate and Roses'' albums, as well as Drexler's Oscar-winning song, "Al Otro Lado Del Rio". In 2003 Sidran started
Nardis Records Nardis Music is a jazz record label formed in 2003 by Ben Sidran and his son Leo. It is a subsidiary of Liquid8. It has a compilation series called Nardis Music Presents, which features songs and artists from Nardis and Sidran's GoJazz label. ...
with his father. The name "Nardis" comes from a
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
composition, but is also Sidran's name spelled backwards. The label was set up as a vehicle to release projects by both father and son, and both have released their recent solo projects as well as other artist productions on the label. A chance encounter at a jam session in Madison with singer-songwriter Joy Dragland would ultimately lead to the creation of Joy and the Boy; primarily a studio project, the duo released three albums. Their cover of
Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...
's "Let's Get It On" debuted in the Top 40 pop radio charts in Spain. After moving to New York in 2005, Sidran developed his career as a composer for film and television commercials. He has scored over 100 national television commercials, and six feature-length documentaries including ''At The Death House Door'' and ''No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson'', directed by Steve James.


The Third Story

In 2014, Leo Sidran started a podcast called The Third Story, in which he interviews musicians, artists, and writers. His first guest was
Will Lee William Lee (born William Lubovsky; August 6, 1908 – December 7, 1982) was an American actor who appeared in numerous television and film roles, but was best known for playing Mr. Hooper, the original store proprietor of the eponymous Hoope ...
, and subsequent interviews included scientist
Daniel Levitin Daniel Joseph Levitin, FRSC (born December 27, 1957) is an American-Canadian polymath, cognitive psychologist, neuroscientist, writer, musician, and record producer. He is the author of four ''New York Times'' best-selling books, including '' T ...
, pianist
Jon Batiste Jonathan Michael Batiste (born November 11, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, composer, bandleader, and television personality. He has recorded and performed with artists including Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Prince (musician), ...
, singer
Madeleine Peyroux Madeleine Peyroux (born April 19, 1974) is an American jazz singer and songwriter who began her career as a teenager on the streets of Paris. She sang vintage jazz and blues songs before finding mainstream success in 2004 when her album ''Carele ...
, arranger/producer
Rob Mounsey Rob Mounsey (born December 2, 1952) is an American musician, composer, and arranger. Music career Mounsey was born in Berea, Ohio, and grew up in Seattle, Washington, spending a few years each in Findlay and Granville, Ohio. At the age of 17, ...
record producer
Tommy LiPuma Tommy LiPuma (July 5, 1936 – March 13, 2017) was an American music producer. His productions received 33 Grammy nominations and sold over 75 million albums. His six individual nominations resulted in five Grammy wins. LiPuma worked with many mus ...
, and hundreds more. In 2022 The Third Story joined
WBGO WBGO (88.3 FM, "Jazz 88") is a public radio station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. Studios and offices are located on Park Place (AKA "Wayne Shorter Way" as of April 2022) in downtown Newark, and its transmitter is located at 4 Times Square i ...
Studios.


Discography

*'' Depleting Moral Legacy'' (1999) *''
L Sid L Sid is the second solo album by Leo Sidran. It was released on February 15, 2000, on Go Jazz Records. It was the first album by Sidran dually composed in English and Castilian. Track listing ''All of the songs were written by Leo Sidran.'' ...
'' (2000) *''
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
'' (2004) *'' Mucho Leo'' (2014)CD-Tipp Leo Sidran: Mucho Leo
*''Entre Chien Et Loup'' (2015) *'' Cool School (The Music of Michael Franks)'' (2018) *''The Art of Conversation'' (2021) *''What's Trending'' (2023)


With Joy and The Boy

*''
Paradise In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...
'' (2004) *'' Soaking Wet'' (2007) *'' Secret Place'' (2009)


With Ben Sidran

*'' The Concert for García Lorca'' (Go Jazz, 1999) *'' El Elefante'' (Liquid 8, 2001) *''
Nick's Bump ''Nick's Bump'' is a smooth jazz album by American keyboardist and jazz vocalist Ben Sidran, released in 2004. It is Sidran's twenty sixth album, and his first release by his independent label Nardis Records. Background Although Sidran's reputat ...
'' (Nardis, 2003) *'' Cien Noches'' (Nardis, 2008) *'' Dylan Different'' (Nardis, 2009) *''
Don't Cry For No Hipster ''Don't Cry For No Hipster'' is a jazz album by keyboardist and vocalist Ben Sidran. It was recorded in July 2012, and released in 2013 under Sidran's label Nardis Records in the United States, and Bonsaï Music in France. It was Sidran's 35th ...
'' (Nardis, 2013) *'' Blue Camus'' (Nardis, 2014) *'' Picture Him Happy'' (Nardis, 2017)


References


External links


Official websiteThe Third Story (podcast)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sidran, Leo 1976 births Living people American multi-instrumentalists American film score composers American television composers Musicians from Madison, Wisconsin Steve Miller Band members Record producers from Wisconsin Singer-songwriters from Wisconsin