The flute hasn’t always been considered the coolest of instruments — though certainly ahead of accordion and tuba — but “cool” is surely a word that comes to mind when listening to the smooth Jazz sounds of San Diego’s Bradley Leighton.
The master Jazz flautist has been praised for brining a presence to the flute comparable to that of a saxophonist or trumpeter, playing with a fluidity, energy, passion and creativity not often seen with the instrument. Influenced equally by the ’60s/’70s Jazz bands of Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman and the later funky, R&B-flavored approaches of Tower of Power and Earth Wind and Fire, Leighton has been a popular sideman (working with folks like Dizzy Gillespie and Bobby McFerrin) and teacher as well as a band leader who has released four well-received albums.
Leighton plays The Greenwich in Walnut Hills on Thursday with local singer/songwriter Tracy Walker. The $7 cover charge includes a light buffet.
Get show and club details here.
This article appears in Jun 9-15, 2010.