Leon Diamond Washington (June 27, 1909, Jackson, Mississippi – February 19, 1973, Chicago) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
He started on clarinet before moving on to tenor saxophone, and studied under Santy Runyon.
[1] After finishing high school, he played professionally from 1926, joining Zinky Cohn's band and recording with Frankie Franko (1930) and Bernie Young & the Creolians (1931–33).
He played with Earl Hines in 1937, before joining Red Saunders' group, where he remained for the next 25 years,[1] recording with him extensively in addition to occasionally releasing material under his own name.
[2] Leaving Saunders' band in 1963, he became an official at the Chicago musicians' union.