Bio

[color="olive"] Bassist,Chapman Stickist,and Native American Flute player,born in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico, to parents of Spanish and Native American ancestry, Juan R. Leon has been playing music since 1982 when he first picked up a pair of drumsticks in high school. It wasn’t long before a friend gave him an electric guitar as a “thank you” for helping him with his algebra homework. He sucked at guitar and soon gave it up. A fellow drummer received a bass guitar for Christmas and advised Juan to forget the guitar and just play bass. A notion that Juan initially rejected but soon realized that he had no choice. Eventually that bass became a part of his personality and being. He would spend hours locked away in his room listening to The Who, Rush, and Yes. Some friends called him a social recluse so he brought along his bass wherever he went so he could keep his chops up. Being born into a musical family, Juan was fortunate enough to have parents that supported his newfound habit and encouraged his musical escalation. Bands soon formed with high school buddies and talent shows were entered (and lost), homemade tapes were produced and new instruments were purchased. Since the small, California, desert town were he lived provided little to no musical opportunities and outlets, Juan dove deep into the musical pool in order to bypass the dominant boredom and small town blues. He discovered two handed tapping and was hooked. By the time he graduated high school in 1985, Juan knew that music would be a means to an end throughout his life. Fast-forward to 1994 and the seaside community of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Juan answers an ad: [b]Bass Player Wanted All original music, no particular style, call me.[/b] He did. [link="http://www.soundclick.com/betweenfourwalls"] Between Four Walls [/link] was a band of diverse influences, great songwriting, and intense jamming. Just what the doctor ordered. They soon amassed an extensive originals set list and following. World renowned studio and touring bassist [link="http://www.stevebaileybass.com"]Steve Bailey [/link] ( The Rippingtons,Jethro Tull,Bass Extremes) caught one of the bands shows and called up Juan at home to chat about music and gigging.Juan was excited and surprised. [b]"I thought that Chris (my wife) was pulling my leg when she said that Steve Baily called and left his number! What a treat that was."[/b] But the 2 year stint of constant gigging along the Redneck Riviera came to an early end when Juan relocated to the Orlando, FL. area for financial reasons. It was here that he began recording his own music on his trusty PowerMac G4. Using his Carlo Robelli 8 string bass, Ibanez Fretless CTBN5,Ovation Acoustic, and eventually, a 10 string, polycarbonate Chapman Stick, he posted his music to MP3.com and was quickly added to the LatchMusic Top 10 list for 2 consecutive months (for “Jesus Wept” and Guaymas”) and featured in the LatchMusic Online Magazine. His 8 string, tapped bass solo,”Jesus Wept” is also a featured mp3 at [link="http://www.activebass.com"] Active Bass [/link]. Juan’s association with the [link="http://www.stick.com"] Chapman Stick [/link] began as a dream, literally. A vivid dream in which he was presented with an odd looking instrument by a young boy. The boy assumed that Juan could tune the strange, melodic, 2 x 4 since he was a bassist. To his amazement, he could and did. He was also able to play it. The next day, while watching Peter Gabriel’s Secret World Tour Video, he was confronted by the same unusual instrument. The man holding the instrument was link="http://www.tonylevin.com"] Tony Levin [/link] and the sound it produced was extraordinary. The instrument, of course, was the Chapman Stick. It would be almost 10 years before Juan would own one. The Stick allowed Juan to once again enter the club circuit as a performer. Playing at least once a week in a free-form, instrumental setting with local musicians, he has been turning heads. But he attributes it all to the Stick rather than his basses. [b] “I constantly get requests from the audience and musicians alike to pull out the Stick. It fascinates people that an instrument can produce so much sound. I am never at a loss for musical ideas where the Stick is concerned”.[/b] The musical pieces featured here represent Juan's passion for the fretless bass,8 string bass,Chapman Stick,and Native American Flute. Solo pices are recorded without overdubs and in one take. Styles can range from ambient to world to new age to experimantal. You may listen to more of Juan's music,purchase mp3s and download free music at Juan's [link="http://www.soundclick.com/juanrleon"] Soundclick [/link] page. Juan is also part of the following collaborations: [link="http://www.ollin.xt.pl"] Ollin [/link] An ambient and dark project with Polish musician/artist/journalist Radek Kordasiewicz [link="http://www.mwa.xt.pl"] Music Word Art [/link] An iternational collective of musicians,artists and poets creating original conceptual media or "Art Packs" [link="http://www.lindyromez.com"] Lindy Romez and Sol Y Mar [/link] Member of nu-jazz trumpet player Lindy Romez's group "Sol Y Mar" Juan crafts Native American Flutes which you can view,listen to,and purchase at [link="http://www.ollinflutes,tripod.com"] Ollin Flutes [/link] [link="http://www.ollin.xt.pl"] Strada-Sphere Radio [/link].Produced and hosted by Juan and fellow Stickist Shane Carey,Strada-Sphere Radio is a posdcast featuring the music of the Chapman Stick.The site also contains interviews with Stickists,reviews,and a 24 hour "Stick Stream" hosted by [link="http://www.soundclick.com"] Soundclick[/link] Yes,Juan has a [link="http://www.myspace.com/juanrleonmusic"] Myspace [/link] page! And finally,please visit the [link="http://juanrleon.tripod.com"] Official Juan R Leon Site [/link] for more pics,music.latest news,gigs,info on the Chapman Stick,some important info on Native American issues,links,and general time wasting! [color="blue"][b]Rights and Attributions[/b][/color] [b][i][color="red"] All original music created,recorded,and produced by Juan R Leon.All material which is contained herein or linked to via this site is protected by copyright law and is licensed under a [link="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/"] Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. [/link] You may license Juan's music for commercial use through the fine folks at[link="http://artist.pumpaudio.com/Contact.aspx?profileId=7669b6db-1f3c-4d54-85f8-b534c2f57dc4"] Pump Audio [/link] [/color] [/i] [/b] [/color]