Dan Lehner has been an active musician, teacher, composer and bandleader in the New York area for 13 years. Born in Hamilton, New Jersey, he graduated from the William Paterson Jazz Performance program (studying with trombonists such as John Mosca and Tim Newman) and since moving to New York, has performed with artists like Jimmy Bosch, Orrin Evans, Norah Jones, Pharoahe Monch, and Gina Chavez and can regularly be seen playing with bands like High and Mighty Brass Band, Fred Thomas, Son Del Monte, Avenida B, John Cushing, La Pachamambo and more. He contributed to the soundtracks of “An Enemy”, “Rosy” and the NatGeo documentary “LA92” through composer Danny Bensi.
Dan has performed at venues and festivals throughout Colombia, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and France and was part of a cultural ambassadorship via the U.S. State Department’s “American Music Abroad” program with Karikatura, playing concerts and conducting workshops in Chile, Panama, Haiti, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
In addition to work as a sideman, he leads several of his own projects:
True East, a collaboration with drummer Zack O’Farrill (Stranger Days, Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra) and bassist Ran Livneh (Anbessa Orchestra, Friend Roulette), a synthesis of New York modern jazz and Afro-Carribean/South American musics that released their debut EP “First EP” in 2020
The Great Long Meadow Fire, a brass band that blends gothic Americana, gospel blues, New Orleans jazz and swampy rock n’ roll, whose debut EP “Start”, released in October of 2022, interprets songs by Stevie Wonder, Neko Case, Skip James and more in their own unique style, featuring guest vocals from artists like J. Hoard and Sami Stevens
Store Hours, an electronic album created in 90 days in the heart of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has a live performance component that will be coming soon.