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Mike Lebrun

A semi-finalist in the 2013 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition and featured soloist on Michael Buble’s 2016 release Nobody But Me, Mike has emerged as a leading voice in genre-bending, jazz-rooted music. Releasing 2 studio albums of original compositions with co-leader Josh Moshier, Mike’s groups have been featured on NPR’s nationally syndicated program Jazz Set. The group has toured throughout the U.S. and South America showcasing their talents. Mike’s composition Jambo won the 2008 International Jazz Composers Symposium’s Best Small Group Composition award. He has been a featured artist with pop & Motown icons including The Temptations and Guster. Mike’s latest project, the Drive Trio, features Grammy award winning bassist Clark Sommers and Jon Deitemyer. He also leads a jazz quartet and is a member of numerous R&B, soul, funk, and jazz bands in the Los Angeles area.

In addition to his pursuit of music creation and performance, Mike also has 10 years of experience working in the software industry and is the founder of Beakerbox Records.

Mike received his B.M. in Jazz Studies and Economics from Northwestern University in 2007, where he studied with saxophone under Frederick L. Hemke and John Wojciechowski, and his M.B.A. from the JL Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2014.

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All Music Guide (Adam Greenberg)

Young jazz tends to go one of two directions in common form — it can hold strictly to playing through classic ideas as the players get the music of the greats ingrained into them, or it can spin wildly out of control as the players show off their instrumental mastery with little regard for a strong, original melody. The Chicago quartet led by Josh Moshier (on outstanding keys throughout the album) and Mike Lebrun (on sax) takes neither of the standard tacks. Instead, Lebrun and Moshier craft straightforward but clever pieces of melody, then use the band as a whole to ornament heavily around the themes.

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Primary Instrument

Saxophone, tenor

Location

Los Angeles

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

*Willing to teach all levels of serious students of jazz and/or classical music in the Los Angeles area.

Mike graduated from Northwestern University in 2007 with a Bachelors in Jazz Studies.

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Shades

Beakerbox Records
2017

buy

Joy Not Jaded

OA2 Records
2009

buy

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