Threads
Available on CD/Digitally
This project pays homage to some threads that have woven the tapestry of my musical life. To include all of the threads would have been a monumentally huge project, so I have given a
small sample of these threads here.
The musicians on these recordings all play a role in who I am as a musician and as a person. I consider them part of my musical family and love them all. Thank you all for bringing your wonderfulness to this project. Every song in this project has special meaning to me in different ways and has been part of my development. I started my professional career playing the Hammond B3 organ and it remains a thread in how I approach all of my music, so I had to include it in this project.
I want to thank my Mother and Father for always supporting my musical endeavors, my wife Kathryn for being my muse and the love of my life, and my children for bringing joy to my life. I have been blessed to have many mentors and teachers who I owe a huge debt of gratitude to. To Ray DeFade Sr., Benny Benack Sr., Jerry Lucarelli, John Slate, Joe Negri, Bobby Negri, and others whom I am probably forgetting, I hope I have made you proud. Last but not least, I want to thank MCG Jazz: Marty Ashby, Renée Govanucci, Jay Dudt, David Sykut, and all of the staff who contributed to making this happen. - Max Leake
Track List
- Just In Time [03:57]
- Gregory Is Here [04:20]
- (They Long To Be) Close To You [04:07]
- Jumpin’ The Blues [03:41]
- Naima [04:18]
- Whisper Not [05:42]
- Mi Bella Kathryn [04:00]
- Dig [03:25]
- Pensativa [05:29]
- Joy [06:01]
- Star Crossed Lovers [06:00]
- Awaken [02:59]
- Wylie Avenue Days [06:19]
- Close Your Eyes [04:48]
- Stars Fell On Alabama [07:07]
- Hallucinations [04:17]
- Fell’s Point [05:37]
- Crystal Silence [03:13]
Credits
Max Leake: piano, organ
Eric DeFade: saxophone (Disc 1: tracks 4, 8; Disc 2: tracks 4, 7)
Jay Ashby: trombone, percussion (Disc 1: track 9)
Marty Ashby: guitar (Disc 1: track 9)
Mark Strickland: guitar (Disc 1: tracks 4, 8; Disc 2: tracks 4, 7)
Dwayne Dolphin: bass (Disc 1: tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9; Disc 2: tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 8) George Heid III: percussion (Disc 1: tracks 6, 9; Disc 2: tracks 1, 8)
George Jones: congas (Disc 1: tracks 2, 3; Disc 2: track 8)
Roger Humphries: drums (Disc 1: tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9; Disc 2: tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 8) Thomas Wendt: drums (Disc 1: tracks 4, 8; Disc 2: tracks 4, 7
Producer: Marty Ashby
Associate Producer: Renée Govanucci Recording Engineer: Jay Dudt
Mastering, Mixing and Editing Engineer: Jay Dudt Additional Mixing and Editing: David R. Sykut
Art Direction and Design: Greg Schooley
Recorded at MCG Jazz from October, 2022 through March, 2024.
(P) 2025 MCG Jazz
(C) 2025 MCG Jazz