Leon deVose has been playing or performing on some instrument since he was tall enough to reach over his father's congas. He has been playing saxophone since age 13, and writing since 2002. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Rutgers University, Newark Campus, where the focus of his studies was history, theory and analysis. He especially treasures the instruction and continuing input and guidance of the widely respected author, composer and theorist Henry Martin, Ph.D. and composer, performer and author Dr. Lewis Porter.
Many consider his performance on percussion to be unexcelled. Every part of the drum is played, and he is unafraid to hit it "right there" with "this" to see how the sound fits into his performance. However, as an artist he is constantly monitoring his own performance, seeking to ensure that anything he is doing is appropriate for the setting, arrangement and piece, and to anticipate what he should do next to underscore the message of the piece. Some call his percussion work "tasty". Leon: "I seek to enhance, not consume the music... I want to decorate, not dominate."
London critic Mark Rimmer has defined a recorded lead performance on alto sax with Tony Loeffler and the Blue Angels as "spine chilling". Others have described his sax work as spectacular, phenomenal, melodic, sweet, passionate, lyrical. For nearly 40 years, Leon has made the saxophone, primarily the alto saxophone, his voice. He lists his influences on sax as the late Dr. Billy Phipps, his first sax teacher, the late Howard (Duke) Anderson, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Kenny Garrett, John Coltrane. Depending on the song, his audience has noted each of these influences. However, his approach is deliberately unique. Leon: "As I was going through high school... this was during the 70's... other guys would hear a song and memorize the solo verbatim. I have never been a proponent of this. My thought has always been that people like this song written or arranged by this great one, but they want to hear what I have to say - otherwise they can just buy the CD." Leon also notes that he is always seeking unique phrases and not cliches - even his own cliches. One can hear this when one song, one arrangement, can have a completely different effect from one performance to the next because of a different approach or focus on a different facet in the song.
Leon's original work has been well received by musicians and listeners alike. They describe his music as a unique combination of all of his influences. In his compositions, he likes space. His melodies are usually multi-phrasic. His rhythms are sometimes complex, sometimes simple, but always compelling. His harmonies are colorful, subtle and fluid. He seldom uses "standard" (e.g., walking) bass lines. As a child of the 60's and 70's, he considers the bass as another voice often with its own counter-melody, sometimes supporting, sometimes responding to, sometimes affirming, sometimes challenging the main melody.
At the time of this writing, Leon is working to self-produce his first solo CD project. Having heard some of the songs that will be included, some believe Leon should be prepared for a major life change. He also continues to compose, sometimes composing multiple compositions in a single day. In 2019, after a hiatus of over ten years, Leon reunited with Mark Caplan, leader of Oracle, with whom he recorded and performed widely from 2000 to 2008.
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