Luis Lenzi

Saxophonist, producer, and musical director, Luis Lenzi, is a multi-talented and gifted man with a wide range of abilities and insight in the realm of music and composition. His professionalism, musicianship, and passion for music have made him a rarity within today’s music scene. Lenzi has served in the capacity of music instructor and clinician for both small and large groups alike in public and private schools throughout California.

In 2006 Lenzi received his B.A. in music and minor in sociology from the California State University of Bakersfield. While at Cal State, he was a featured soloist with the CSUB Jazz Ensemble, Coffeehouses, as well as being an annual scholarship winner. Lenzi has performed with John Clayton, Peter Erskine, Wayne Bergeron, Bob Florence, Gerald Wilson, and Toshiko Akiyoshi at Jazz Jam concerts. In addition to the saxophone, Lenzi studied jazz piano with Dr. Doug Davis the summer before entering CSUB and quickly accumulated a fluid harmonic sophistication that has made him in demand with a variety of gospel groups. Lenzi has played keys along side local Bakersfield keyboardist, Darnell Gholston, at the 2002 Bakersfield Jazz Festival. He has also toured throughout California with the United Pentecostal church’s Western District All State Youth Choir 2003-06.

However, one of Lenzi’s greatest accomplishments was when he was a featured headliner for the 2005 Bakersfield Jazz festival and asked to return the following year in 2006 as one of many featured Bakersfield Jazz Festival composers. For more than 10 years, Lenzi has been featured on a number of recordings, including Spanish recording artist Fernando Diaz Jr.’s “Con Alegria” and on Tommy Brown’s live instructional bass DVD.

In early 2009, Lenzi released his first Solo CD entitled “No Looking Back” featuring original compositions and a unique blend of gospel and jazz. Using some of the best musicians the Bay Area has to offer, this project has allowed Lenzi the opportunity to explore the merging sounds between gospel, funk, and traditional jazz while still maintaining a connection to the listener. Currently, Lenzi is in the finishing stages of his second solo album “Broken” featuring all original compositions expected to be released Spring of 2010.