Formerly known as "the best un-recorded band out there", The Ellen Lease/Pat Moriarty Quintet has been developing their repertoire, and thrilling club and concert audiences in the Minneapolis area for more than a decade.  Award-winning composers Ellen Lease and Pat Moriarty contribute strong, highly colored works to the bands repertoire. Lease and Moriarty have collaborated on many projects since the early 80’s.  Although comparisons to the musics of Steve Lacy, Charles Mingus, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago are well taken, this band definitely has its own sound and conception.

The band includes leaders Ellen Lease (piano) and Pat Moriarty (sax and other “aerophones”), trumpeter Kelly Rossum and bassist Chris Bates, and drummer Dave  Stanoch.

"Lease is an artist of subtlety and grace."  - Pamela Espeland, Bebopified