Harry Leahey

Harry F. Leahey (1 September 1935 Plattsburgh, New York — 12 August 1990 New Brunswick, New Jersey) was an American virtuoso jazz guitarist and guitar teacher who lived, taught, and performed primarily in New Jersey.

Leahey received his first guitar at the age of thirteen. He went on to study with Lou Melia, at Sayer's Studio in Plainfield; Al Volpe, the renowned studio guitarist and teacher of such players as Joe Pass and Sal Salvador; leading jazz and studio guitarist Johnny Smith and Dennis Sandole, teacher of such students as Pat Martino and John Coltrane. He studied music theory and composition at Manhattan School of Music.

Leahey's career began in the early 1960s and continued until his death in 1990. He played and recorded with Phil Woods at Carnegie Hall, Gerry Mulligan, Al Cohn, Jack Six, Warren Vaché, Mark Murphy and other well-known jazz artists. As part of the Newport Jazz Festival, the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra and the Phil Woods Quintet shared the bill at a midnight concert on June 28, 1977.