Before embarking on her musical career, NYC based jazz pianist and composer Leslie Pintchik taught English literature (as a teaching assistant) at Columbia University, where she also received her Master of Philosophy degree in English literature. While in graduate school, she decided to change course in an effort to give music a larger place in her life.
Leslie first surfaced on the Manhattan scene in a trio with legendary bassist Red Mitchell at Bradley’s. Most recently, she has been playing both in a trio (and also quartet) with bassist Scott Hardy, drummer Michael Sarin and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi. They perform primarily in the New York City area at jazz venues that include the Kitano, Smalls Jazz Club, Bar Next Door, the Blue Note, Knickerbocker, and 55 Bar.
Jim Wilke, creator of the nationally syndicated “Jazz After Hours” radio show included Leslie’s latest release We’re Here To Listen on his “Best CD’s of 2010” list, and the jazz journalist and scholar W. Royal Stokes included it in his “Best of 2010” list.
This past February (2013), Leslie recorded her new CD In The Nature Of Things with a stellar band: saxophonist Steve Wilson, trumpeter Ron Horton, bassist Scott Hardy, drummer Michael Sarin and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi. The new CD is planned for release in spring of 2014.
For more info, including audio and video samples, please visit lesliepintchik.com
Bassist Scott Hardy hails from Houston, where he worked with “Texas Tenor” Arnett Cobb. Since moving to Manhattan, he has performed and recorded with Jack McDuff, Tal Farlow, Chris Connor, Kenny Barron, Rufus Reid and Bobby Watson, among others. Jazz Times magazine called Hardy “… an exceptional bassist deserving wider prominence,” and a profile of Hardy in Bass Player magazine praised his “lyrical phrasing, cross-register command, and burnished tone.”
Percussionist, drummer and arranger Satoshi Takeishi (who began performing and recording with Pintchik in 2001) is a native of Mito, Japan. Since moving to New York in 1991, he has performed and recorded with many well-known jazz artists including Ray Barretto, Eliane Elias, Marc Johnson, Eddie Gomez, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Anthony Braxton, Mark Murphy, Herbie Mann, the Paul Winter Consort and the Toshiko Akiyoshi Big Band. He continues to explore multi-cultural, electronic, and improvisational music with local musicians and composers in New York.