Mackenzie Leighton is a bassist and composer from San Diego, CA. He is a sought-after sideman in Southern California, known for his versatility, solid groove, and technical prowess.

He has performed with jazz legends such as Pat Metheny, Donald Brown, and Geoffrey Keezer, and works regularly with Southern California jazz heroes Peter Sprague, Gilbert Castellanos, and Kamau Kenyatta. He has performed at the Carlsbad Music Festival, Ensenada Jazz Festival, Tijuana Jazz and Blues Festival, and Idyllwild Jazz in the Pines.

He also works in theater, most recently as Brother Jay in over 100 performances of Million Dollar Quartet at Lamb's Players Theater. His compositions have been featured on recordings by San Diego State University and The Matt Smith Neu Jazz trio and his own albums of original music MLTRIO and I Remember. He is a lecturer at CSU San Marcos where he directs the Jazz Ensemble, and is studio faculty at a number of colleges in the San Diego and Orange County area. He holds a Masters in Music from San Diego State University. More