{{Short description|American musician (1960–2004)}} {{More citations needed|date=May 2021}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | name = Mark Ledford | birth_date = March 1960 | birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2004|11|01|1960}} | death_place = Los Angeles, California | instrument = Vocals, trumpet, guitar | genre = Jazz, R&B, pop-rap, hip hop | occupation = Musician, singer, record producer, audio engineer | years_active = 1982–1998 }}
'''Mark Ledford''' (March 10, 1960 – November 1, 2004) was an American trumpeter, singer, and guitarist. He was known for his multi-instrumentalism and his membership in the Pat Metheny Group.<ref name="Dead">{{Cite web|url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/2004b.html|title=The Dead Rock Stars Club - 2004 July to December|website=Thedeadrockstarsclub.com|access-date=12 May 2021}}</ref>
==Music career== Ledford was born and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He studied the violin and trumpet growing up.<ref>https://www.jazztimes.com/archives/jazz-standard-hosts-tribute-to-mark-ledford/?v=0b3b97fa6688</ref> He attended Berklee College of Music between 1978 and 1982.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Final Cadence {{!}} Berklee |url=https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-today/spring-2005/final-cadence |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=www.berklee.edu |language=en}}</ref> After he graduated, he took a job in advertising while doing session work with Stephanie Mills, Jon Hendricks, Special EFX, Michael Brecker, Kevin Eubanks, Don Byron, Living Colour, Prince, and Bill Evans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jazz |first=All About |date=2004-11-04 |title=Jazz news: Singer Mark Ledford Passes |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/singer-mark-ledford-passes/ |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=All About Jazz |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mark Ledford |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/147793-Mark-Ledford |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=Discogs |language=en}}</ref> He would later contribute to the soundtracks for the Spike Lee films ''Mo' Better Blues'' and ''Do the Right Thing''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-01-30 |title=Noteworthy Alumni in the Field of Music: Mark Ledford '78 |url=https://www.missourimilitaryacademy.org/news-details/~board/news/post/noteworthy-alumni-mark-ledford-78 |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=www.missourimilitaryacademy.org |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 1986, he began a working relationship with Pat Metheny, appearing live with the Pat Metheny Group and on numerous recordings, including the Grammy award winning albums ''Secret Story'' and ''Still Life (Talking)''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.smoothvibes.com/movabletype/archives/000265.html|title=Smooth Jazz Vibes: Longtime Pat Metheny Group Member Dies After Heart Attack|website=Smoothvibes.com|access-date=12 May 2021|archive-date=12 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512153638/http://www.smoothvibes.com/movabletype/archives/000265.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> He worked with Bobby McFerrin's a cappella group, Circle, and he played in Joe Locke's Storytelling Band.<ref>{{Citation |title=Joe Locke - Storytelling |date=2001 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/9362997-Joe-Locke-Storytelling |access-date=2023-10-11 |language=en}}</ref>
Between 1990 and 1992, Ledford taught master classes in trumpet at the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.banffcentre.ca/music/jazz/faculty/|title=Music | Banff Centre|website=Banffcentre.ca|access-date=12 May 2021|archive-date=27 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127020845/https://www.banffcentre.ca/music/jazz/faculty/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1998, he released a solo album, ''Miles 2 Go'', a tribute to Miles Davis.<ref>{{Citation |title=Mark Ledford - Miles 2 Go |date=1998 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/1523337-Mark-Ledford-Miles-2-Go |access-date=2023-10-11 |language=en}}</ref>
On November 1, 2004, Ledford died of heart failure in Los Angeles.<ref name="Dead"/>
==Discography== '''With Uri Caine''' * ''Love Fugue: Robert Schumann'' (Winter & Winter, 2000) '''With Faith Evans''' * ''Faith'' (Bad Boy, 1995) '''With Joe Locke''' * ''Longing'' (Timeless, 1990) * Storytelling (Sirocco, 2001) '''With Pat Metheny Group''' * ''Still Life (Talking)'' (Geffen, 1987) * ''We Live Here'' (Geffen, 1995) * ''Imaginary Day'' (Warner Bros., 1997) '''With Pat Metheny''' * ''Secret Story'' (Geffen, 1992) '''With The Rippingtons''' * ''Black Diamond'' (Windham Hill, 1997) '''With Special EFX''' * ''Global Village'' (GRP, 1992) '''With Eliane Elias''' * ''A Long Story'' (Manhattan, 1991)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.trumpetguild.org/news/news05/288ledford.htm Mark Ledford obituary] * [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p97309|pure_url=yes}} All-Music Guide entry]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ledford, Mark}} Category:1960 births Category:2004 deaths Category:American male trumpeters Category:American blues guitarists Category:American male guitarists Category:American jazz drummers Category:Pat Metheny Group members Category:20th-century American singers Category:20th-century American guitarists Category:20th-century American drummers Category:American male drummers Category:20th-century American trumpeters Category:20th-century American male singers Category:American male jazz musicians Category:Drummers from Detroit Category:American whistlers