DJ Dave Leonard

Dave Leonard is the founder and driving force behind JTD Productions, a full-service DJ & entertainment company based in New York’s breathtaking Hudson Valley. The primary focus of JTD has always been to deliver an eclectic mix of music suitable for any occasion.

DJ Dave Leonard

With extensive experience in the field, he is now one of the most sought-after DJs in on the East Coast. For over 25 years, Dave Leonard and JTD have revolutionized the DJ business model by maintaining a philosophy of giving back to the community. By donating 3% of the proceeds from every event, the company has raised over 140,000 dollars for charitable causes worldwide, with a particular focus on the local community. JTD now offers live music and DJ services for rustic-chic and elegant country weddings throughout the Hudson Valley, Brooklyn, NYC, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and destination weddings across the country.

The dream began as a small regional company while Dave was working as a radio DJ. After training and enlisting several talented musicians and friends to help manage the workload, Dave started to see his vision coming to fruition. The additional support helped distribute the workload as JTD grew, and allowed Dave to focus on building another new concept, “Radio Unleashed.” This nationally syndicated radio show, “Radio Unleashed,” currently airs on over twenty AAA markets across the country, On Demand, and NPR radio stations across the US.

Whether he’s on the air or at your event, Dave’s primary focus has always been to create common ground between people of all walks of life, bringing them together through the powerful and universal language of music.

Want to book Dave? Check availability here.

What Our Clients Say About DJ Dave

“Dave Leonard from JTD Productions was worth every penny we spent! His company offers less expensive DJ’s but after our first conversation we knew that Dave was our guy and that we could trust him with every aspect of our reception music. My husband and I love to dance and love music, but had a hard time figuring out how to put the music we liked into some sort of “favorites” list to play at our wedding. So we trusted Dave to do that for us, and boy are we glad we did. He got the party started right away and didn’t stop until 2am! I’d like to say that all the hard work we put into the wedding was what made it such a great day, but I know in the end, without a good DJ you don’t have a good party. So thanks Dave for giving us the best wedding dance party! I highly recommend Dave Leonard to anyone seeking a great DJ for their wedding, he will not disappoint!” – Abby & Jared from NYC, Wedding at Shakespeare on the Hudson

“Dave had great recommendations. We met with Dave and immediately felt confident that he got the “vibe” we were hoping for and had the experience to pull it off in a relatively non-traditional venue. We had him DJ our wedding at the Kaaterskill. He provided sound for the ceremony (literally figured out a way to mic our officiant in the middle of a field), music for cocktail hour and dinner, and DJ’ed the reception. Music was very important! We felt like the music was responsible for the flow and tone of the entire wedding – and it was! Dave Leonard is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! From ceremony to cocktail to dancing, the whole night was perfect. He kept people dancing for hours – no one wanted him to stop. It was as if he read our minds for the music for the entire night. He kept our friends dancing for the entire night…I don’t think anyone every sat down. Dave’s rate is a bit higher than some of the other DJs at JTD, but in our opinion he was worth every penny.”  – Mary  & Jamie from Brooklyn, Wedding at Kaaterskill Inn

“Hiring Dave Leonard was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. And that’s saying a lot, as we were very lucky on the day as everything worked out very well. Dave just made things extra special. I remember reading reviews of him 10 months ago and thought, “wow! this guy sounds really good”, but is he worth the premium price? His service offers a number of DJs for less, but why is he worth more? It’s because he’s seriously just that good. We gave him full flexibility to choose whatever songs he liked for our reception, and I liked every single one of them. All of guests continually commented on how awesome the music was. Many of those engaged couples who attended were also commenting how they’d like to hire a DJ like Dave for their wedding, as many of the DJs they heard in the past were not that memorable. My wife was so impressed and appreciative at how he was able to keep things right on schedule for the reception. We were so overwhelmed with visiting friends and family throughout the night that we had zero time to queue the DJ for all sorts of things (cake cutting, couples dances, speeches, etc.). Dave made everything run seamlessly and on time. A huge win!! He also stayed later for our after party and played a whole list of tunes we had ready on an iPod just in case. A good buddy of mine who never dances was on the dance floor the whole night. I couldn’t believe it!! He was high-fiving me every 5 minutes as he was having a great time. Thank you DJ Dave!! I’d rate you 6/5 if  I could. Keep spinning the awesome tunes and best of luck with your radio show!! ” – Jeanette & Graham, Wedding at Full Moon Resort

“We wanted to thank you for the amazing ceremony and reception.  The music was perfect, the party was fun, and your attention to detail and ability to keep the night flowing were greatly appreciated.  We got so many compliments on the music, which I think is unusual and speaks great volumes about you as a DJ!  It was everything we hoped for, and you delivered on every promise you made.  We would be honored to provide you with a recommendation, leave comments on any website or do anything that would aid you in any way.  Please just let us know. Thanks again for making our wedding exceptional!” – Jasmine & Lane from San Francisco, Wedding at Onteora Mountain House

“We have been meaning to reach out to you, but just got back from our honeymoon this weekend. Sorry  I didn’t say goodnight to you either after the wedding, was a whirlwind of a day. We have to say, that you were absolutely AMAZING as a DJ. You went above an beyond with everything. Guests loved the musical choices and said wonderful things about you. We can’t put into words how incredible you truly were and we could not have pulled off such an amazing weekend without you. The steel drum player was fantastic, the karaoke was a blast and you thought of everything in terms of helping us keep the “schedule” and the flow. We cannot thank you enough. You have our recommendation for anyone and everyone who is in need! We will certainly send back our survey with all stars and awesome praises. We will also be sending you a tip, as it’s well deserved. We would also like to send a little something for Angie and the steel drum player if you can be so kind as to give to them for us. Also, if you have any particular websites or places I can write something up for you, please do let me know. More then happy to do so!!  Thank you again Dave for being so awesome. Words cannot describe how happy we were to have you a part of our special weekend. YOU F#$%ING ROCK!!!!!” – Tara & Rob from Brooklyn, Wedding at Full Moon Resort

“Dude – You were awesome. I have NEVER been to a wedding where the floor was packed all the time AND at the tables one could talk without raising one’s voice. You were truly superb. Any party, any time – you made it great. Hopefully, we get a chance to compare music notes again soon. Thank you again!” – Christian and Braden from London, UK, Wedding at Estate in Rhinebeck, NY

 “I cannot vouch for Dave Leonard and JTD Productions enough. I’ll share a little bit of our experience with you: When we settled on Dave to DJ our wedding, he invited us over to his house to go over everything. It was really cool, his kids were there and we basically just illustrated our vision to him. Throughout the next several months we corresponded regularly via email mostly, but he would call me to provide me with various reminders when necessary. His website, where you will be able to select your music is really great. The site is totally user-friendly and his catalog is really deep. My wife and I are total music people and his library really impressed us. The website enabled us to categorize songs as “high priority,” “play if you can,” and “do not play.” It was really easy. In the days leading up to the reception, Dave and I were in contact a lot. If there was ever a time where he missed my call, he was really good about following up in the same day, often later in the hour. We planned the entire flow of the reception from cocktails, to introductions, dinner music, and then dancing. I must stress that Dave is really open minded to the ideas of others. He’s not going to just play what he wants based on his tastes and works hard to play everything you could want. Dave showed up at our reception site in Saratoga Springs a few hours early to set up, which he did without a problem. He had asked us how he should dress (which is a really cool option) and we told him professional/casual. His attire was great and blended right in with our guests. He had also asked us how “hands on/hands off,” we wanted him to be. We told him that we just needed him to keep the party going and guide the reception along (introductions, dinner time, cake time, first dances, etc.) and that’s exactly what he did. Overall we were incredibly happy with choosing JTD, Dave specifically. Not only was he completely professional throughout the entire experience, but he was also lots of fun to work with. We still get compliments on his work six months after our wedding and the music remains one of the highest points of the entire night. If I could recommend Dave a hundred more times, I surely would, as he is probably the best DJ in the entire region.”  – Daniel from Saratoga Springs, Wedding at Canfield Casino

“Long before we lived in the Hudson Valley, when we were still Brooklynites, a friend of a friend said she knew this really great DJ for our Prospect Park wedding. It was none other than DJ Dave Leonard. That was 15 years ago. I had not been a guest at before, nor have I been a guest at since, any event with better music, more joy, more booty-shaking, and slow grooviness.  Every once in a while we run into DJ Dave around town and we’re so happy to see him, to have him, and his brilliant DJ work, as part of our memories. And there’s a picture of Dave in our wedding album too!” – Elisa and John of Kingston, NY, Wedding at The Picnic House in Prospect Park Brooklyn, NY

“Dave was AMAZING! He did everything we asked him to do, played everything we wanted to hear, and was perfectly understated. The best thing about Dave was he was in tune with the crowd. He knew how and when to get them moving and when to get into more of a mellow mood. Everyone loved our music and I think we got more compliments on Dave and how much everyone loved him then we got on the flowers. I am so happy to be able to write this and at least try to give back to Dave what he did for us. I could really go on and on about how amazing he was but I know how time consuming wedding planning is so I won’t. All I can say is you won’t be disappointed if you go with Dave as your dj. P.S. We got married on Oct 29, in a blizzard, in Massachusetts, and he was there three hours early and all set up.” – Elizabeth & Kim of West Nyack, Wedding at Mass Moca

“Dave and JTD productions came to DJ for our wedding this June. We booked with them based on a recommendation by a family friend. They were beyond PERFECT!!! While most DJs play large “sets” of music (you know the drill…cheesy intros…typical oldies..then SHOUT….then more blah wedding music), Dave and the JTD team kept the mix so diverse, we had to stop conversations with guests to go back onto the dance floor. Fabulous doesn’t even begin to describe how much fun we had. Even 2 months later, guests reach out to us to tell us how good the DJ was. One guest was actually surprised that so many people were on the dance floor for so long. If you’re looking for a DJ in the Hudson Valley area – you can’t beat JTD. You can keep it as formal or casual as you want. Just give them the direction and they’ll take it from there. It was great to have one less thing to stress about on the wedding day. Dave is totally professional and he rocks. I can’t wait for the anniversary party so I can use them again.” – Jennifer and David from Rhinecliff, Wedding at Rhinecliff Hotel

“Thank you again for being such a great DJ for our wedding. You did an absolutely amazing job and there isn’t a single thing I would change. Lionel and I went to several weddings this spring where the DJ was a very polarizing force in the enjoyment for the guests. I am so happy that the pace of the evening and the song selection really helped everyone enjoy the night as well as participate on the dance floor. I wish I had known you played frisbee and I would have sent you the details of our bride/groom game that took place that morning. We’ll be sure to send you a line next time we come up to Woodstock for a quick hello or a frisbee toss. Thanks again, you are the best!” – Megan & Lionel from Brooklyn, Wedding at Mt. Tremper Arts Center

“Dave Leonard DJ’d our wedding and we were so lucky to have found him. We needed someone with a catalogue that included standards for the older folks, dancehall beats for the bride, Bollywood hits for the groom, and tracks that could segue between the genres! Dave made sure to include all of our requests (and leave out all of the songs we can’t stand) and was also patient and accommodating when the bridesmaids showed up with surprise request cards. Dave was extremely professional and listened when we said we didn’t want to play cheesy games, do the chicken dance, or any of that stuff that sometimes crops up at weddings. He made sure our guests were dancing the entire night! We were worried that varying tastes in music would leave half our crowd seated at one point or another, but he worked some magic and everyone had a blast! Thanks, Dave!” – Hanorah & Arvind, Wedding at Oak Hill

“We know Dave would hit the nail on the head with his extensive knowledge of music. He knows music inside and out and it really shined through for our event. Music was very important. Dave did such a great job rolling through the decades of music without playing “mainstream wedding cliches” Awesome job! Kept the party going well into the night/morning. He took all our requests and rode with the style of music we were looking for. He even played house music from a DJ we liked who isn’t very mainstream. We were impressed when we were on the dance floor and heard it.” – Stacey & Will from Kingston, NY, Wedding at Belvedere Mansion

“Dave at JTD productions did an amazing job at my wedding. Music was very important to the event. He took our playlist and added to it. The entire wedding was up dancing! I couldn’t have asked for anything more. He was very professional and classy and kept the party going. The next day people complimented the DJ. Thanks Dave!! Great job! Thank you!” – Valerie & Vinnie  from Cortland Manor, NY, Wedding at Highlands Country Club

“The dance floor was packed from the first dance till VT state law required us to turn of the music. Dave did an excellent job reading the crowd and creating the perfect vibe for our wedding. On top of this he was extremely flexible and adapted to all of our needs. During the ceremony he was willing to provide amplification for the officiant and the musicians who performed. In spite of a complicated location shift from ceremony to reception site he made the logistics go smoothly and was up and running quickly, providing a tasteful and well balanced background mix for the cocktail hour. Dave is great. We couldn’t have been more pleased with his work.” – Laura & Robert from New York City, Wedding at Fox Chair Mountain Farm

“I know I may sound biased as this was my wedding, but Dave Leonard is by far, the best wedding DJ I have ever seen in action! Not only was his music everything we wanted, but he looked genuinely happy and joyful through the whole evening. He stayed pretty quiet which we loved. No cheesy DJ talk. Just a cool guy playing some cool music. I never left the dance floor, even though it prevented me from seeing some of my guests, but I didn’t care– I was having way too much fun! Everyone kept saying how it was the coolest wedding music they ever heard. Thank you Dave. We wouldn’t have wanted our day any other way!” – Iloire & Greg from Jersey City, Wedding at Stone Tavern Farm

“Dave is phenomenal! So easy to work with and flexible. I was a bit overwhelmed with the thought of having to choose the songs for the day, but Dave, knowing me and what music I like, took the ball and ran with it to perfection! We had requested quite an eclectic selection of music to be played….from Vivaldi to the Grateful Dead…..Dave had it all! Best part, our guests were dancing all night long! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Dave!” – Donna & Eric from Falls Village, CT, Wedding at The Lakeville Town Grove