BAKER CITY — Leslie Mendelson had music all around her growing up on Long Island in New York.

“It was a lot of good music in the house,” she said. “I come from a long line of entertainers.”

Her dad was a music teacher, and played piano and trumpet. She learned to play piano by ear by age 3, then started lessons.

“I learned how to play songs by listening to The Beatles. I was obsessed,” she said.

By 14, she was writing songs and playing guitar.

“I think I always had dreams of being a recording artist,” she said.

Although she taught music lessons, she knew she wanted more for a music career.

“I want to make a real go at this,” she said.

Then she connected with Joel Dorn, an American music producer who was with Atlantic Records in the 1970s and worked with artists such as Bette Midler and Roberta Flack.

“He was so old school and funny,” Mendelson said. “It started my career.”

She worked with Dorn on two projects before he passed away in 2007, and in 2009 she released her debut album “Swan Feathers” as well as “The Joel Dorn Sessions.” After a stint living in London, she released “Love & Murder” in 2017.

Her style, she says, “transcends genres.”

“I’ve always been drawn to great songs and great songwriters,” she said, naming artists such as Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney and the Bee Gees. “It’s always been song over genre for me.”

In 2020, she released “If You Can’t Say Anything Nice…” With performances stopped due to the pandemic, she played shows on Zoom and went live on Instagram.

In the lonely days of 2020, she appreciated the feedback from listeners on social media.

“Oh, we’re not alone!” she remembers thinking as heart reactions filled the screen.

She released an acoustic EP in 2021 titled “In the Meantime,” and her newest album, “After the Party,” comes out in May 2024. She’ll start releasing singles in March, but Baker City can hear these new songs live when Mendelson plays at Churchill School on Sunday, Feb. 25.

Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance at churchillbaker.com or $22 at the door.

“It’s me, going through my journey. Come along,” she said.

And quite the journey she’s had — in addition to her own albums, she recorded a duet with The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir and opened shows for The Who twice at Madison Square Garden.

Based in Brooklyn, New York, she’s toured in the UK and plays multiple circuits around the United States.

“I like traveling and meeting new people,” she said.

To learn more and hear samples of her music, visit www.lesliemendelson.com.