Leonard Feather

British-born jazz pianist, composer, author, critic and producer. Born September 13, 1914 in London, England Died September 22, 1994 in Sherman Oaks, CA., USA. After studying piano and clarinet at St. Paul’s School and University College, London, he embarked on a career as a jazz performer and songwriter. He moved to New York City in 1939. He compiled "The New Encyclopedia of Jazz" (1960), later volumes on jazz in the 1950s and 1960s; the work eventually become "The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz" (1999, with Ira Gitler), who had assisted on the earlier volumes). Feather was co-editor of "Metronome" magazine, associate editor for "DownBeat" (creating its Blindfold Test feature) and chief jazz critic for the "Los Angeles Times", having settled in the city in 1960, a post he retained until his death. For several decades, Feather was the most widely read writer on jazz. Married to Jane Feather and father of Lorraine Feather.