Cover of LP, Leonard Feather presents Dixieland vs. Birdland Leonard Feather was a talented musician himself, though he was rarely recorded in part because of the Musician’s Union prohibition of recording non members. As a prolific composer and lyrist over 100 of his songs were recorded and he wrote the album notes for thousands of LPs. In addition he was an active arranger and producer. By his own estimation, his first quality composition was ‘Mighty Like the Blues’ performed by Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, and George Chisholm in 1937. It was his earliest composition that he could always look back on without anger or shame. The list of names associated with Leonard Feather’s work is both long and distinguished: Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Fats Waller, Count Basie, Charlie Barnet, Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, George Shearing, and many others. Some of Feather’s most well known songs include ‘Evil Gal Blues’, ‘Blow Top Blues’, ‘Dinah’s Blues’, ‘I Remember Bird’, and ‘Twelve Tone Blues’. Possibly his greatest hit was ‘How Blue Can You Get’ first performed by Lois Jordan and B.B. King. Leonard Feather also made a great many more contributions that are not as well known. An example of this is his writing of ‘Get Rich Quick’ and ‘Taxi Blues’. On October 16, 1951 these songs were the first ever recorded by a teenager named Richard Penniman, later known as Little Richard. Leonard Feather’s contribution to jazz and music in general in the swing era, experiments with waltz jazz, his promotion of bebop, and the roots of R&B are numerous and the benefits far reaching. 
Cover of LP, Leonard Feather 1937–1945 Partial discography: 1
1 The Encyclopedia of Popular Music pp.414 References
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