Stuart Duncan, Chris Thile, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Mark O'Connor, Tony Rice, David Grisman, Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, Chris Eldridge, Noam Pikelny, Aubrey Haynie, Gabe Witcher, Bryan Sutton, Matt Flinner, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Del McCoury Band, David Grier, Edgar Meyer, Russ Barenberg, Tim O'Brien, Mike Compton, Billy Contreras, Vassar Clements, John Hartford, Bruce Molsky, Casey Driessen, Rushad Eggleston, Vasen, Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, Django and Stephane, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead, Johann Sebastian Bach, Mozart, Bob Marley, Radiohead and many more.
At age 3 Dominick Leslie began chopping to the beat on a ukulele with his dad’s bluegrass band. At age 10 he purchased a Martin guitar with the Christmas and Birthday money he had been saving for years. Just one year later he picked up the mandolin and he hasn’t put it down since. By the time he was 12, he began writing his own music and practicing every day. Just a few years later at 15, he recorded his first solo CD Signs of Courage which received rave reviews from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine. He placed first in the 2004 Rockygrass Mandolin Contest at age 14 becoming the youngest contestant ever to win and he placed second in the 2005 and 2006 Merlefest Mandolin Contests at ages 15 and 16. Dominick’s original recordings have been featured in the Colorado Bluegrass Music Society’s (CBMS) 2006 and 2007 CD Compilations, he was a showcase artist at the 2006 IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Awards) in Nashville and he played at the 2007 Wintergrass Festival as part of the “Changing Face of Bluegrass”: a group of young talented teenagers including Sam Grisman, Sarah Jarosz and Alex Hargreaves. Dominick was also featured in Mike Marshall’s Young American Mandolin Ensemble this October. This was an elite group of seven young musicians who both studied and performed at the Mandolines de Lunel festival in France. He has studied with mandolin masters such as David Grisman, Chris Thile, Mike Marshall, Don Stiernberg, Andy Statman and Hamilton de Holanda at the Mandolin Symposium at the University Of Santa Cruz every year since it’s inception in 2004. His Bluegrass music roots have evolved into current interests in Jazz, Classical and other musical forms. He has led a jazz trio featuring the mandolin and is currently a member of the progressive Grant Gordy Quartet. At age 17, Dominick is a senior at Evergreen High School where he has achieved high academic success in the honors program. He has made an extensive contribution to Community Service through nonprofit benefit concerts for many organizations such as The Red Cross, Friendship Bridge, the Mountain Area Land Trust, the Emily Keyes Foundation and Invisible Children. Whether writing a new piece, learning a favorite tune or joining a hero on stage, Dominick will always share his love of music with others and enjoy playing the mandolin. Dominick eagerly anticipates his future creating music, playing and performing with his friends and heroes and pursuing his dream of a lifelong career in music.
Dominick, sounds great, up here pickin with ross and noam in brooklyn! heard you ran into my buddy rick snell in rochester. hope to pick soon ,take care!
Hey DOM.....Like the new tune. Good to hear ya. You could "Float" your way into Cattle in the Cain yo! Look forward to playing some music when your home. Tell Sam I said hey and see you in a few weeks.Murph and Gus and I have been pickin LOTS. Missin ya out here.
Great! We will prob. be up @ Eldora (old stompin' grounds) to do some riding...If-I mean-when you get together with friends to play in Lyons or wherever...send me a message. Would love to hear some tunes :) XXXOOO
That sounds so awesome! It's great to be surrounded and interacting with so much talent..you get better while having so much fun~ Are you going back to CO for the holidays?
Hey Dom! Saw you on and wanted to say "hi"~ I hope school is going great and you are keeping warm up there in B-a-h-ston :) Have you and Ross been getting together to play?
nah i was only in fiddlers for 4 years and never went to a bluegrass festival:P of course i have. i think cori's going down to kentucky soon for one, you should say hey if you go
Hey Dom, How are you?? I had a Vasen kick today-played through most of Whirled with the CD(their arrangements never get old!) and thought of you. It made me smile so thought I'd say hi! Talk soon. S
I really like your stuff! As a huge fan of Bela, I especially appreciate your take on "Spanish Point." You took Bela's break and put it on the mandolin! Quite impressive, it's not an easy task! I still want to learn Tony's intro on that track and put it on banjo lol.
killer!! 'wish you were in CO. man.. It's not the same for me hear without you. Hopefully we'll have our shit together, and a new record recorded by Wintergrass!
BUMDOG!! I can come to boston pretty much anytime, it's only an hour and a half away. You say when, where, and who's playing, I'm there. Just give me a little notice so I can get the day off.
That show at Carnegie will be amazing. Anything else good coming further North anytime soon? I need some music in my veins...
Miss you little bro!! Get yer ass to Wintergrass so's I can give it a good swift kick for ya!! I'm sure your havin' a blast in college... here's an old adage for ya. fill your cup, and drink it up. so yer wild oats while ye may, for the toothless old tykes of tomorrow, are the tigers of yesterday!!
Hey Man, Looks like I can only get everything together from December 15th to the 19th or so. I'd love to have you play but it doesn't look like it's going to happen this time...but I promise you it will not be my last album...I hope.
Look at Cori's profile pic. I felt your presence in the halls of ibma, and cried. Everyone that came for the weekend missed you Dom! Next time you must stay and party! Miss you bazillions + you better be coming to Wintergrass? x
Dude, I missed IBMA. How was it? Went to Hardly Strictly...Hot Rize...awesome...Stuart played Fiddle...with distortion...Justin had a video of the solo but lost his camera.
hey man. how are the studys? do you see mike barnet any up there? if you do you should ask him about the recorder thing i found at rockygrass. i still have it and i can mail it up there if its his. thanks -mike
