Leon Washington (musician)
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Leon Diamond Washington (b. June 27, 1909, Jackson, Mississippi - 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
Washington was born in Mississippi and grew up in Chicago from age three. He started on clarinet before picking up tenor saxophone, studying under Santy Runyon. After finishing high school he played professionally from 1926, joining Zinky Cohn's band and recording with Frankie Franco (1930) and Bernie Young & the Creolians (1931-33). He played with Carroll Dickerson from 1934-35 at the Sunset Cafe in Chicago, then played briefly with Louis Armstrong in 1935. He played with Earl Hines in 1937, then played in Red Saunders's group, where he remained for the next 25 years, recording with him extensively in addition to occasionally releasing material under his own name. After he left Saunders's retinue in 1963, he became an official in the Chicago musicians' union, and died of leukemia in 1973.
