Lenny Robinson's Exploration

Doors open: 6:30pm

Show starts: 7:00pm

$15 in advance, $20 day of show

Masks and proof of vaccination required

Lenny Robinson's Exploration is:

Janelle Gill - piano

Chris Barrick - vibraphone

Michael Bowie - bass

Lenny Robinson - drums

Lenny Robinson has become one of the foremost voices of the jazz at the drums. Born October 4, 1956, he grew up in Baltimore, MD in a rich musical environment. He played piano and organ in his father's church in his early teens. He also played trumpet in both junior high and high school. His love of percussion began in the ninth grade and has been playing drums ever since.

Lenny's first contact with jazz came in junior high school when he heard a jazz recording on the radio and could not figure out how the drummer could do what he was doing. It turned out that the record was a Max Roach/Clifford Brown record and Max was burning it up. This started Lenny on a journey that continues to this day. He started out by going to listen and sit in with the elder statesmen of jazz in Baltimore. He then enrolled in the Peabody Conservatory of Music under the teachings of Charles Memphis, principal percussionist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. After a year at Peabody, Lenny transferred to Morgan State University where Mr. Memphis was also on staff. While attending Morgan, Lenny's first international gig was with Pamoja Experience, a theatrical jazz group that chronicled the black music experience from slave songs to the present. This group toured Europe and performed in places such as the Montreux festival in Switzerland, the Oslo festival, the North Sea festival as well as theatre appearances in various cities in Europe. Shortly after returning from Europe, Lenny was asked to join Jean Carne's band. This band traveled extensively throughout the US sharing concert billings with groups such as The O'Jays, Roy Ayers, The Gap Band and other R&B groups of the early 80's. It was during this time that Lenny felt the need to expand his musical horizons and make the move to New York. The opportunity would come from a most unlikely source.

Uncle Sam wanted Lenny to be a member of the 26th Army Band in Brooklyn, NY. While it would mean actually joining the Army, it would also mean having Uncle Sam pay for Lenny to live there and get established. After going through basic training and the Armed Forces School of Music, Lenny was now in New York and starting to work. He put together a band that included either Onaje Allan Gumbs or Kenny Kirkland on piano, Anthony Cox on bass and John Purcell on reeds. This band performed regularly at 55 Grand, the musicians hang out at the time. This enabled Lenny to play with and establish relationships with musicians such as Mike Stern, Jaco Pastorious, Marcus Miller, the Brecker Brothers, Anthony Jackson, Jeff Watts and many other world class musicians. After his Army service and after the birth of his son, Lenny and his family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1986. Although Lenny's primary residence is in the Washington, D.C. area, he still maintains a residence in New York. As a result of Lenny's abilities and experience, he has been able to perform with a number of recording artists, including Dewey Redman, Clifford Jordan, Carter Jefferson, Vanessa Rubin, Lou Donaldson, Roy Hargrove, Kenny Barron, Eartha Kitt, Gary Bartz, Eddie Henderson, Ahmad Jamal, Keter Betts, John Hicks, Larry Willis and Don Braden. He was a member of Stanley Turrentine's working band recently toured and recorded with Marlena Shaw and saxophonist T. K. Blue.