Carl LeBlanc

Carl LeBlanc (born May 26, 1955 in New Orleans) is an American guitarist and banjoist. LeBlanc is best known for his work in both avant-garde and traditional jazz, being the only musician to have worked with avant-garde jazz legend Sun Ra and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, where he played banjo following in the footsteps of his predecessor Narvin Kimball. He was also the director of the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz and Heritage Band. LeBlanc has played with Fats Domino, Eddie Bo, Treme Brass Band, Bo Diddley, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, the Dirty Dozen, Allen Toussaint, Ellis Marsalis Jr., James Rivers, Blind Boys of Alabama, and Irvin Mayfield & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and recorded an extensive catalog of albums with all of them (see discography). LeBlanc continues to preserve the legacy of New Orleans musical tradition through education and performance. He has also recorded seven solo albums throughout his career. LeBlanc was born in New Orleans' 7th Ward, where he began playing at age 12 with the band The Sonics. He studied Music Education at Columbia University and later graduated from New Orleans Southern University, where he was a student of Kidd Jordan. He subsequently moved to Philadelphia to play with renowned jazz pianist Sun Ra.