Leon Gruenbaum started playing classical piano at the age of 5. During this period he took classes in piano and clarinet, as well as music theory at the New England Conservatory. Prior to beginning college he also took jazz lessons at Berklee. Throughout his youth he performed with his brothers in the Dapele Trio, writing arrangements of jazz and pop tunes.

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When he moved to New York in 1988, he came up with the idea of the Samchillian, a relativistic keyboard controller, for which he received a patent. In 2022 Leon collaborated with Eventide to embed the core ideas of Samchillian in a new Eurorack device from Eventide called Misha.
Leon has recorded and performed worldwide with such artists as Vernon Reid, James Blood Ulmer, as well as the improvisatory collective, Burnt Sugar, Black Rock Coalition Orchestra and many others.
In addition, over the years he has performed on keyboards with many world-renowned musicians, such as: Bruce Hornsby, Chaka Khan, Nana Vasconcelos, Cyro Baptista, Rebellum, Corey Glover, Aaron Comess, Jojo Mayer, Micah Gaugh, MCPS, and many others.
He also sings and has showcased his music invention with his own various projects: Creative Apocalypse, Genes and Machines, as well as a new eponymous solo project. With these projects he has played at the following venerable New York institutions: BAM Cafe, CBGB, Carnegie Hall,Irving Plaza, Lincoln Center, The Stone, Rockwood Music Hall, Tonic, The Cooler, The Knitting Factory, Roulette, Carnegie Hall, and Summer Stage in Central Park.
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