A gifted straight-ahead Canadian guitarist, Peter Leitch is known for his swinging hard bop and standards-based jazz. Leitch initially earned attention playing in New York in the early '80s, working with saxophonist Jed Levy, Jack McDuff, and Jaki Byard, among others. Along with producing and writing liner notes, Leitch has released his own urbane small-group albums, including 1986's On a Misty Night, 1995's Colours & Dimensions, and 2014's Landscape. Since 2015, Leitch has stepped away from performing due to medical issues, focusing on arranging and composing for his New Life Orchestra, which debuted with 2020's New Life.