Mark Ledford

Mark Ledford ( born 1960 in Detroit, Michigan, † November 1, 2004 in Los Angeles, California ) was an American jazz singer, trumpeter, guitarist and drummer.

Ledford learned the violin and trumpet as a child and became known as the Michael Jackson impersonator. From 1978 to 1982 he studied at the Berklee School of Music.

The multi-instrumentalist was then musical director of Stephanie Mills, trumpeter in the band of Jon Hendricks and took with musicians like Michael Brecker, Eliane Elias, Bill Evans, Kevin Eubanks, Don Byron, Branford Marsalis and the group Special EFX together; outside the jazz scene with Prince, Mary J. Blige and Youssou N'Dour.

Since 1986 he has worked with various bands by Pat Metheny; recently, he worked as a singer Bobby McFerrin's vocal group in The Circle. Ledford taught at the Banff Centre in Alberta ( Canada ) Master classes of trumpeters.

Discography (selection)

• Miles 2 Go with Tawatha Agee, Victor Bailey, Kevin Batchelor, Michael Brecker, Cyrus Chestnut, Victor Comer, Barry Danielian, Bernard Davis, Charlie Ernst, Clark Gayton, Jeff Haynes, Vincent Henry, Imani, Gene Jackson, Tyrone Jefferson, Darryl Jones, Joe Locke, Pat Metheny, Najee, Lonnie Plaxico, Jeff Tain Watts, Audrey Wheeler, Lenny White, Horace Alexander Young, 1996-1997