Biography

Orlando le Fleming was born in Birmingham, England on July 7,1976, into a family of professional musicians. His mother is an accomplished cellist and educator, and his father a composer.

He seemed destined for an athletic career and was briefly a professional cricketer, until his lifelong passion for music won out when he was granted a place at London’s Royal Academy of music. After moving to London, he quickly established himself as one of the UK’s most prominent bass players. He was the first call for touring and recording for, among others, Jason Rebello, Julian Joseph, Iain Ballamy, Tommy Smith, Jean Toussaint and Guy Barker.

Word quickly spread across the Atlantic, and with geography at his advantage, Orlando was soon in demand to perform and tour throughout Europe with visiting U.S. musicians such as Bill Charlap, Art Farmer, George Coleman, Dave Liebman, and most notably, Branford Marsalis.

Orlando moved to New York in 2003 and immediately became a member of Jane Monheit’s band, a stint that lasted for three years. He also toured and recorded with Billy Cobham’s project “The Art of Five” and was featured on Jimmy Cobb’s “Marsalis Music Honors” album. Now firmly established as one of New York’s leading young bass players, Orlando went on to tour and record with the Branford Marsalis Quartet, Seamus Blake, Ari Hoenig, Gilad Hekselman, Will Vinson, Lage Lund, Anat Cohen, Joey Calderazzo, David Sanchez and Jeff “Tain” Watts.

Orlando’s talents are not limited to the role of sideman. In 2010, he released his debut album, “From Brooklyn With Love”,showcasing his exceptional talent as a composer and also featuring Antonio Sanchez on drums. Orlando’s current and future projects include the OWL Trio (a chamber group co-led with Will Vinson and Lage Lund, whose eponymous debut CD was widely acclaimed) and a rigorous touring schedule with Ari Hoenig, the Joey Calderazzo Trio, and as the new bass player in Kurt Rosenwinkel’s New Quartet