Leo P Premieres ‘Goodbye Pork Pie Hat’ from His Debut Album

By DownBeat I Oct. 25, 2022

Leo P wants to bring the party back to jazz.
(Photo: Justin Borucki)

Named Baritone Saxophonist of the Year in the 87th Annual DownBeat Readers Poll, Leo P will be releasing his debut solo recording, Comin’ Up Aces (Shanachie), on Nov. 4. The energetic, charismatic ball of technique and dance steps offers an eclectic set of jazz and beyond with a batch of catchy originals and tributes to some of his heroes, including Eddie Harris, Maceo Parker and Charles Mingus. Click on the album cover for a premiere of Leo’s tip of the cap to Mingus with “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”:

“Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” from Comin’ Up Aces

With 100 million YouTube views, Leo P has burst onto the scene in a very different way. Via his videos busking and dancing on the streets of L.A. — sometimes with his 2SAXY partner-in-crime alto saxophonist Grace Kelly — the saxophonist has developed quite a large, international following. He has been featured in guest spots with everyone from the Dixie Chicks to Beyoncé and has received invites to perform as part of a popular BBC tribute to Mingus. Leo P. is joined on Comin’ Up Aces by guests Stanton Moore (Galactic) on drums, saxophonist Richard Elliot as well as Eric “Benny” Bloom (Lettuce) on trumpet. As for Leo P’s modus operandi? “I want to bring the party back to jazz,” he said. “I want to make people dance. I want to wear badass suits and look cool as hell and present something special to people that they will always remember.” DB

A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.

News

Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM

Hyde Park Jazz Fest on Chicago’s South Side to Present 20th Edition

The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
“It was just that suddenly … I could hear it,” Ravi Coltrane said of an epiphany he experienced during his late teens regarding his father’s music. “And it was almost like a calling, like something saying, ‘Hey, man, come on. It’s time to get serious.’ And the first time you really tune in and dial in and focus like that, it can be very life-changing.”

Interview, From the Magazine

Sep 22, 2026 1:39 PM

A John Coltrane Centennial

Editor’s Note: Tomorrow, Sept. 23, is the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth. In honor of the tenor and…
Camille Thurman took to the stage alongside bassist Kenny Davis and drummer Tommy Campbell for a rendition of Johnny Mercer’s “I’m An Old Cowhand” that recalled Rollins’ epochal 1957 trio outing Way Out West.

Live

Oct 6, 2026 1:33 PM

Sonny Rollins Gets an Epic Send-Off in Manhattan

As emcee Mark Ruffin noted at the commencement of an epic tribute to saxophonist Sonny Rollins at the Cathedral of Saint…
Kurt Elling, Katherine Russell and Emmet Cohen (host on the 2027 Jazz Cruise) share a laugh at sea.

News, From the Magazine

Sep 8, 2026 11:52 AM

Jazz Cruises Swing at Sea

It began in 2001. A travel agent named Anita E. Berry had been booking clients on “partial” jazz cruises that took…
News, From the Magazine

Sep 17, 2026 11:00 AM

Check Out the College Guide!

The 2027 DownBeat College Guide is an invaluable resource for music students, especially jazz students, to find a school…