LeRoy Downs

LeRoy Downs has been an icon in the jazz industry for the past twenty years. The Los Angeles jazz radio program & festival host, journalist, television producer, curator and concert series producer began his career with station 88.1 FM KKJZ and has continued to contribute to the art form as broadcaster on several Los Angeles radio stations.

The love of the music continued on another platform with the creation of TheJazzcat.net. This blog style website has featured all of the articles, concert reviews, interviews, events and multi-media projects that LeRoy has collaborated and produced over the years.

“My vision and goal is to bring an eclectic sonic experience of jazz to my listeners. A blend of music, style, culture, love and a voice for the unsung. A sense of openness and understanding to an art form that so many have formed nostalgic opinions about or have not really taken the time to explore it's vast cerebral beauty. and colors of the continuum of sound. A mix of old and new dreams that bridge generations, colors, cultures, and politics while letting the natural vibrations of the harmonies and melodies inspire new visions of self-discovery!”

LeRoy has also been busy hosting many jazz festivals and performances including more that 15 years with the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Central Avenue Jazz Festival, the Angel City Jazz Festival, The Playboy Jazz Cruise, The Jazz Cruise, Winter Jazz Fest in New York, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz performances and you can find him weekly at his own Just Jazz Series.

LeRoy developed an entertaining jazz pilot television program called “Hangin' with the Jazzcats” that eventually led to a partnership with Emmy award winning television producer Fred Smith, a forty year veteran at CBS Television. The culmination of experience comes together as decades jazz and television knowledge are now aligned and working towards some lofty goals in the music!

Under the umbrella of All Music Television, the amalgamation of work produced such programs and events such as “Live from The Blue Whale”, “The Jazz Creative”, “Christmas Jazz with LeRoy Downs”, “Musicians Talk Race in America”, “Miles in May”, “Live from the Lobby”, “Backstage Pass”, “Sound Check”, “The Jazzcat Brunch” and now the successful Live Concert Series in Hollywood called, “Just Jazz”! You can enjoy all of these programs, interviews, articles and jazz radio broadcasts and more on “The Jazzcat App”, as well as listen to progressive music on his 24- 7 online radio station called “Sounds and Colors Radio”.

There are some great plans, partnerships and collaborations for future endeavors and LeRoy Downs will certainly be there continuing to carry the torch, push the music forward, and once again, return the sound to it's classic prominence!