Lennie Cujé was part of the New York Jazz scene throughout the 1960’s. He performed and recorded with artists such as Larry Coryell, Dave Amram, Hank Mobley, and “Philly” Joe Jones.
Cujé returned to the Washington, D.C. area in the seventies and was a guest artist with the US Navy Commodores several times, played all the local Jazz venues, also the Kennedy Center Kool Jazz Festival, “Ethel’s” in Baltimore, “Starlite” Room in Boston, and his Quartet was the weekly Sunday night feature at the famous “One Step Down” from 1984-1994.
In August 1990 Cujé gave a solo performance for the Kennedy Center Educational Department and has performed previously on the Millennium Stage. On September 23, his Quintet opened the Kennedy Center “Festival of the Arts, followed for the 20th Anniversary in 1991.
More recently Cujé performed and recorded as guest artist with the Mike Wilner Quartets at New York’s cutting edge Jazz Club “Smalls” in 2000, 2001, 2002, and in Fall of 2003 a two week engagement in Germany.
Hello Lenny, You were the first musician to help me get a gig when I moved here from Ohio. That was almost 29 years ago. I have always appreciated the fact that you talked to Frankie about hiring me. I learned a lot from you and Ellsworth. THANK YOU! I hope we play together one more once. Take care, Bob
Hey Mr. Cuje, this is Zack Cross from W-L. How is everything? I'm really loving the IU music school and I just wanted to let you know that I'll be home for summer on May 5th, so if you have any gigs that you would need a piano player for, just let me know and I'll probably be available to fill in. Thanks and hope to hear from you!
