Name Charles Leighton Labels JAC Recording | Years active 1940–2009 Instruments harmonica | |
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Born June 24, 1921 ( 1921-06-24 ) Died June 26, 2009(2009-06-26) (aged 87) Occupation(s) Harmonica playerRecording engineer | ||
Charles Leighton (24 June 1921 – 26 June 2009) was an American virtuoso classical and jazz harmonica player who flourished from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s, then — after a hiatus while managing a recording studio that he co-founded — reemerged in the mid-1980s and continued to play publicly until his death. He had been member of harmonica ensembles of international rank; he had performed as soloist; and he had recorded as studio musician for radio, television, and film.
Contents
- Career history
- Tuesdays at Charlie Leightons
- Selected discography
- Videos of Charles Leighton playing harmonica
- Filmography
- Audio books
- Selected studio engineering
- Publications
- Family
- References
Leighton, in the mid-1950s, founded a small, prolific recording studio — JAC Recording, Inc. — which was housed in his apartment on the eighth floor at 152 West 58th Street (Apartment 8D), Manhattan, New York. In the late 1950s, his studio hired Phil Ramone whom Leighton and other engineers from the studio mentored. Ramone, who attributes his first love of studio engineering to Leighton, went on to become one of the most prolific producers and recording engineers of pop music, jazz, and notably, rock n roll.
Career history
Charles Leighton, a native New Yorker, taught himself to play the harmonica at the age of twelve. At age sixteen (1937), Leighton began to tour the United States, playing in vaudeville theaters as lead harmonica with harmonica groups, including the Philharmonicas and the Cappy Barra Harmonica Gentlemen.
During the early 1940s, Leighton worked in Hollywood, both in the studio and on screen, appearing in motion pictures for Columbia and RKO. During this time he also played country music on the radio with The Hollywood Barn Dance and The Hoagy Carmichael Show, and recorded with The Riders Of The Purple Sage, Merle Travis, Johnny Bond, and The Andrew Sisters.
Leighton served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. After the war, he returned to New York and signed with USO Camp Shows and toured throughout Japan, Korea, and China, entertaining the Military. His harmonica trio — with Harry Halicki (né Harry Henry Halicki; 1920–2002) and Joe Pittello (né Joseph Anthony Pittello; 1920–2008), who he had met in the U.S. Coast Guard — made a hit with the war-born show "Tars and Spars." They performed with Henry Morgan, Paul Whiteman, and Kay Kyser. After touring with the USO, Leighton returned to New York City to work as a studio musician playing on numerous radio and television commercials and recorded with entertainers that included Dean Martin, Dinah Shore, Harry Belafonte, Mitch Miller, Andre Kostelanetz, Clint Eastwood, Hugh Downs, Dionne Warwick.
By the mid-1950s Leighton co-founded and operated a recording studio — JAC Recording, Inc. — giving up playing entirely. Years later a friend asked him to practice and record a harmonica transcription of a flute solo called Poem by Charles Griffes. Never having heard the piece and initially underestimating its difficulty, Leighton agreed to do it. He produced a studio recording and the exercise served as an impetus for embarking on a follow-up project which led to a full classical CD.
Tuesdays at Charlie Leighton's
For nearly 30 years, up until just before his death, Leighton hosted jam sessions at his 8th floor apartment every Tuesday at 3 PM. He called it Leighton's Leightons. Members included Charles Spranklin (Charles Edward Spranklin; born 1932), William Galison, Randy Weinstein, Stan Harper, Stanley Silverstone, Gregoire Maret, Phil Caltabelotta, and Rob Paparozzi.
Selected discography
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Videos of Charles Leighton playing harmonica
Filmography
Audio books
Selected studio engineering
Leighton engineered and mixed countless studio recordings, including:
Publications
Family
Charles Leighton was married to Rosanne G. "Ro" Leighton (née Fingeroth; 1928–2002). They had no children.