LeDonne/ Dudli Quintet

 feat. Andrew Wagner & Alex De Lazzari

Andrew Wagner, tp

Alex De Lazzari, ts

Mike Le Donne, p

Clemens Gigacher, b

Joris Dudli, dm

Although Mike and Joris have known each other for decades, their musical collaboration only began around 2020. They are all the more excited to present their new quintet with three young, up-and-coming talents from the New York and Vienna jazz scene, with whom they made their first recording in February 2025.

"Mike is one of the most talented pianists of our time. – He's incredible." Oscar Peterson

"Get the Dudli..." said Joe Zawinul after Joris stepped in for the "Zawinul Syndicate" in 2002.

Mike Le Donne- piano

Pianist Mike Le Donne is an internationally renowned pianist and organist with the unique experience of having played with a wide spectrum of jazz masters from Benny Goodman to Milt Jackson and Sonny Rollins. He has won praise not only from critics but from master musicians: Oscar Peterson picked him as one of his favorite pianists of today. Later he worked with the Art Farmer-Clifford Jordan Quintet and played with more modern masters like James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Turrentine, and Bobby Hutcherson, also with the Milt Jackson Quartet and Benny Golson. He has also been leading trios that have included greats like Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb, Billy Hart, Pete LaRoca and Louis Hayes. Mike is on over 100 CD’s as a sideman and starting in 1988 recorded his first of 16 CD’s as a leader. Five on Criss Cross Jazz, three on Double Time Records, seven on Savant and one on Cellar Live. Many of them award winning and include the greatest musicians around today including Tom Harrell, Gary Smulyan, Dennis Irwin, Kenny Washington, Steve Nelson, Ryan Kisor, Jim Rotondi, Joshua Redman, Lewis Nash, Peter Washington, Peter Bernstein, Eric Alexander, Jeremy Pelt, Joe Farnsworth, John Webber, Bob Cranshaw, Mickey Roker and Ron Carter.

Andrew Wagner, trumpet

Andrew Wagner is an up and coming jazz trumpet player from the NY/NJ metropolitan area and a graduate of William Paterson University, where he studied with trumpet master Jeremy Pelt. After listening to a recording of Clifford Brown in high school, he pursued his passion to play seriously. Andrew is a recipient of the James Moody scholarship and has played and led his bands at various clubs around the city such as the Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, the Django, Smalls, Cellar Dog and many more. Andrew has performed with musicians such as Winard Harper, Joe Farnsworth, Nat Reeves, Jerry Weldon and many more. Andrew currently keeps a busy schedule teaching and playing in the NY/NJ area. 

Alex De Lazzari, tenor saxophone

Originally from Italy but growing up in the Washington D.C. area, Alex made the move to the New York City area in 2017, and attended William Paterson University. Here, he studied under jazz greats such as Bill Charlap, Vincent Herring, Rich Perry, and the late great Harold Mabern. Even before graduating in 2021, Alex began playing gigs in New York, and has now established himself as one of the strongest young voices on the tenor saxophone today. He has performed at countless venues along the east coast and overseas, such as the Petworth Citizen in Washington DC, Orania in Berlin, the Umbria Jazz Festival, Dizzy’s Club, Smalls Jazz club, and the Blue Note in New York City, among other places, with the likes of people like Winard Harper & Lonnie Plaxico,

Clemens Gigacher - bass

Clemens Gigacher is a multi-instrumentalist primarily known as a double bassist/electric bassist/pianist, who also works as a composer and arranger. Born into a musical family, Clemens began his musical journey at a very young age playing piano and guitar. He graduated from MUK (Private University of Music and Performing Arts of the City of Vienna) and is currently active primarily as a sideman in the local music scene. Clemens has worked with many artists such as the Tenority Quintet, Notes and Tones Jazz Orchestra, Dusha Conection, Oliver Mochman Group, , Paul Temmel & Band, , Mike Manieri, Mario Gonzi, , Markus Pechmann, Elias Meiri and more.

Joris Dudli- drums

Joris has been a steady member of the Vienna Art Orchestra and the Art Farmer Quintet from 1979 to 1985. After moving to the US in 1986, he has performed and recorded with many of the great jazz musicians of the world: The Zawinul Syndicate, Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller, Johnny Griffin, Mullgrew Miller, Clifford Jordan, Joe Lovano, Chico Freeman, Joe Henderson, and many more. His longtime musical partnership with Vincent Herring has put out many successful projects like Soul Jazz Factor with Jeremy Pelt and Earth Jazz with Anthony Wonsey and Richie Goods. 2018 Downbeat reviewed their CD Soul Chemistry with four stars and praised Dudli both, as a drummer and also as a composer.