Lenny Pickett
American saxophonist and musical director

Lenny Pickett

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American saxophonist and musical director
Gender:
Male
Places:
United States of America
Is:
MusicianComposerSaxophonistProfessorEducator
Work field:
AcademiaMusic
Birth:
10 April 1954(Las Cruces, Doña Ana County, New Mexico, USA)
Star sign:
Aries
Genres:
Rhythm and blues
Instruments:
Saxophone
Employers:
New York University
Manhattan, New York City, USA
Awards:
Bessie Award
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Biography

Introduction

Lenny Pickett (born April 10, 1954) is an American saxophonist and musical director of the Saturday Night Live band. From 1973 to 1981 he was a member of the band Tower of Power.

He is known for his skill in the altissimo register (executed by using a combination of voicing control, air stream control, and alternate fingerings), which can be heard during the opening credits of Saturday Night Live.

Music career

Pickett grew up in Berkeley, California. He has no formal musical training, did not attend high school beyond the first year and did not attend college. After dropping out of high school, he took lessons from Bert Wilson, a jazz saxophonist known for his facility with the altissimo register. Other than those lessons, he is self-taught on saxophone.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, he led the horn section for Tower of Power, an innovative and funk-focused East San Francisco Bay area band, and also a popular session band that backed many musicians in multiple genres, from Elton John to musicians in soul music, rhythm and blues, and funk. Tower of Power also released its own albums as a group.

Pickett joined the Saturday Night Live Band in 1985 and has served as the band's musical director since G. E. Smith was fired during the cast exodus in 1995.

As a composer, he has written for his group, the Borneo Horns, and has received a number of commissions to write works mixing classical and popular idioms for a variety of musical ensembles, including the New Century Saxophone Quartet, as well as music for theatre and collaborations with dancers, poets and film-makers. He is an adjunct faculty member of the jazz studies area at New York University.

Discography

As leader

  • Lenny Pickett with the Borneo Horns
  • Bad Dreams Lenny Pickett
  • The Prescription (feat. UMO Jazz Orchestra)
  • Heard by Others Lenny Pickett & John Hadfield

Other appearances

  • "Weekend in the Dust", Love This Giant,David Byrne and St. Vincent
  • "Hot Fun in the Summertime", The Liberty Concert (1985), Hall & Oates

1970s

  • 1972 Why Don't You Try Me? – Earth Quake
  • 1973 Tower of Power – Tower of Power
  • 1973 Betty Davis – Betty Davis
  • 1974 Back to Oakland – Tower of Power
  • 1974 Caribou – Elton John
  • 1974 In the Beginning – Roy Buchanan
  • 1974 Link Wray Rumble – Link Wray
  • 1974 Monkey Grip – Bill Wyman
  • 1974 Ron Gardner – Ron Gardner
  • 1974 Free Beer and Chicken – John Lee Hooker
  • 1974 For My Love...Mother Music – José Feliciano
  • 1974 Release Yourself – Graham Central Station
  • 1974 Insane Asylum – Kathi McDonald
  • 1974 Monsieur – Hiroshi Kamayatsu
  • 1974 Jezebel – Mary McCreary
  • 1974 Feats Don't Fail Me Now – Little Feat
  • 1975 Urban Renewal – Tower of Power
  • 1975 In the Slot – Tower of Power
  • 1975 Not a Little Girl Anymore – Linda Lewis
  • 1975 Rescue Me – Roy Buchanan
  • 1975 Secret Sauce – Skyking
  • 1975 Tales from the Ozone – Commander Cody
  • 1975 Change – Spanky and Our Gang
  • 1975 Rufus featuring Chaka Khan – Rufus
  • 1975 Ain't No 'Bout-A-Doubt It – Graham Central Station
  • 1975 Rise Sleeping Beauty – Lenny Williams
  • 1976 Ain't Nothin' Stoppin' Us Now – Tower of Power
  • 1976 Chameleon – Labelle
  • 1976 Live and in Living Color – Tower of Power
  • 1976 Mirror – Graham Central Station
  • 1976 Nine on a Ten Scale – Sammy Hagar
  • 1976 Stone Alone – Bill Wyman
  • 1976 Tom Thumb – Michael Dinner
  • 1976 A Night on the Town – Rod Stewart
  • 1976 Impact – Impact
  • 1976 Affectionate – R.C. Succession
  • 1976 Hard Candy – Ned Doheny
  • 1976 Hometown Boy Makes Good – Elvin Bishop
  • 1976 In Touch – Tommy James
  • 1976 The Keane Brothers – Keane Brothers
  • 1976 The Lost Heritage Tapes – John Kay
  • 1976 Act Like Nothing's Wrong – Al Kooper
  • 1976 Gavin Christopher – Gavin Christopher
  • 1976 White Bird – David LaFlamme
  • 1976 Jaye P. Morgan – Jaye P. Morgan
  • 1976 Billy Preston – Billy Preston
  • 1977 Supersonic Lover – Brian & Brenda Russell
  • 1977 Big City – Lenny White
  • 1977 Choosing You – Lenny Williams
  • 1977 Funk in a Mason Jar – Harvey Mason
  • 1977 New Directions – The Meters
  • 1977 Nielsen/Pearson – Nielsen/Pearson
  • 1977 Right on Time – The Brothers Johnson
  • 1977 Time Loves a Hero – Little Feat
  • 1977 Marin County Line – New Riders of the Purple Sage
  • 1977 Red – Sammy Hagar
  • 1977 An Insatiable High – Masayoshi Takanaka
  • 1977 Good News – Attitudes
  • 1977 Disco Fantasy – Coke Escovedo
  • 1977 Feel the Fire – Jermaine Jackson
  • 1977 God Only Knows (45 RPM) – Marilyn Scott
  • 1977 Right On Time – The Brothers Johnson
  • 1977 The Tim Weisberg Band – Tim Weisberg Band
  • 1977 Sierra – Sierra
  • 1977 Patrick Gleeson's Star Wars – Patrick Gleeson
  • 1978 Frontiers – Jermaine Jackson
  • 1978 In Tails – King Biscuit Flower Hour – Journey
  • 1978 Before the Rain – Lee Oskar
  • 1978 Desert Horizon – Norton Buffalo
  • 1978 Dinner with Raoul – Bliss Band
  • 1978 Jesse Barish – Jesse Barish
  • 1978 Crimson Tide – Crimson Tide
  • 1978 Tattoo Man – Denise McCann
  • 1978 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band soundtrack
  • 1978 Waiting for Columbus – Little Feat
  • 1978 We Came to Play! – Tower of Power
  • 1978 What Have You Done for Love – Hodges, James & Smith
  • 1978 Jet Lag – Nick Chavin
  • 1978 Never Even Thought – Colin Blunstone
  • 1978 Winner – Renée Geyer
  • 1979 Back on the Streets – Tower of Power
  • 1979 Everything You've Heard Is True – Tom Johnston
  • 1979 Live & Learn – Elkie Brooks
  • 1979 Richard Evans – Richard Evans
  • 1979 Silent Letter – America
  • 1979 Victim of Love – Elton John
  • 1979 You're So Good – Helen Reddy
  • 1979 Muscle Shoals '79 (2008) – James Walsh Gypsy Band
  • 1979 Magic Lady – Sergio Mendes
  • 1979 Gonna Getcha' Love – Charles Jackson
  • 1979 Melissa Manchester – Melissa Manchester
  • 1979 8 for the 80's – Webster Lewis
  • 1979 Play It As It Lays – Alicia Bridges
  • 1979 Where I Should Be – Peter Frampton
  • 1979 Never Been Here Before – Paulette McWilliams
  • 1979 Dreams of Tomorrow – Marilyn Scott
  • 1979 Remote Control – The Tubes

1980s

  • 1980 Bebe le Strange – Heart
  • 1980 Greatest Hits: Live – Heart
  • 1980 La Toya Jackson – La Toya Jackson
  • 1980 The Hawkins Family (Live) – Walter Hawkins
  • 1980 Heaven Above Me – Frankie Valli
  • 1980 No Night So Long – Dionne Warwick
  • 1981 The Boys Are Back – Stone City Band
  • 1981 But What Will the Neighbors Think – Rodney Crowell
  • 1981 Coconuts High – Izumi Kobayashi
  • 1981 Direct - Tower of Power
  • 1981 Heart – Heart
  • 1981 Take It Off – Chic
  • 1982 Flat–Picking Spectacular – Joe Maphis
  • 1982 Steve Forbert – Steve Forbert
  • 1982 Picture This – Huey Lewis and the News
  • 1983 Lee Palmer – Lee Palmer
  • 1984 Civilized Man – Joe Cocker
  • 1984 Like a Virgin – Madonna
  • 1984 Tonight – David Bowie
  • 1984 The Gospel at Colonus soundtrack – Bob Telson, Donald Fagen
  • 1984 Leader of the Pack soundtrack – Various
  • 1984 Surrender – Robin Clark
  • 1985 Step By Step – Jeff Lorber
  • 1985 Live at the Apollo with David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Hall & Oates
  • 1985 Middle of the Night – Taka Boom
  • 1985 Riptide – Robert Palmer
  • 1985 She's the Boss – Mick Jagger
  • 1985 The Heat – Nona Hendryx
  • 1985 Bump the Renaissance – Bobby Previte
  • 1985 Confrontation – Face to Face
  • 1985 Listen Now Do You – Sheena Easton
  • 1985 Little Creatures – Talking Heads
  • 1985 Mask of Smiles – John Waite
  • 1985 Power Station 33 1/3 – The Power Station
  • 1985 Power Station – The Power Station
  • 1985 When the Boys Meet the Girls – Sister Sledge
  • 1985 Dancing in the Street – Mick Jagger & David Bowie
  • 1986 3 Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine – Daryl Hall
  • 1986 At Least We Got Shoes – Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes
  • 1986 Brutal Dub – Black Uhuru
  • 1986 Brutal – Black Uhuru
  • 1986 Heartbeat – Don Johnson
  • 1986 Home in the Heart of the Beat – Beat Rodeo
  • 1986 Innocent – Peter Gordon
  • 1986 Inside Story – Grace Jones
  • 1986 John Somebody – Scott Johnson
  • 1986 Press to Play – Paul McCartney
  • 1986 Secret Dreams & Forbidden Fire – Bonnie Tyler
  • 1987 Brooklyn – Peter Gordon
  • 1987 Belouis Some – Belouis Some
  • 1987 Conjure: Cab Calloway Stands in for the Moon – Kip Hanrahan
  • 1987 Hunger– Michael Bolton
  • 1987 Is There Rockin' in This House – Terri Gonzalez
  • 1987 Lenny Pickett with the Borneo Horns – Lenny Pickett
  • 1987 Never Let Me Down – David Bowie
  • 1987 Never Never Land – Simon F.
  • 1987 Strange Weather – Marianne Faithfull
  • 1987 Dominion/Mother Russia – The Sisters Of Mercy
  • 1988 Remote – Hue and Cry
  • 1988 Constant Fear – Paranoise
  • 1988 Direct – Tower of Power
  • 1988 Distant Drums – Brian Slawson
  • 1988 Doble Vida – Soda Stereo
  • 1988 Groovin ' – The Missing Links
  • 1988 Molly on the Shore – Richard Greene
  • 1988 Naked – Talking Heads
  • 1988 Never Felt So Good – James Ingram
  • 1988 Ooh Yeah! – Hall & Oates
  • 1988 Out of Order – Rod Stewart
  • 1988 Shag – Original Soundtrack
  • 1988 Tear Down These Walls – Billy Ocean
  • 1989 The Lion for Real – Allen Ginsberg
  • 1989 Addictions, Vol. 1 – Robert Palmer
  • 1989 Charlie Sexton – Charlie Sexton
  • 1989 Conscious Party – Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers
  • 1989 D'Atra Hicks – D'atra Hicks
  • 1989 Gutterboy – Gutterboy
  • 1989 Languis – Soda Stereo
  • 1989 Mick Jones – Mick Jones
  • 1989 One Bright Day – Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers
  • 1989 One Night of Sin – Joe Cocker
  • 1989 Signs of Life – Charlie Elgart
  • 1989 Stay Awake – Hal Willner
  • 1989 Storm Front – Billy Joel
  • 1989 Strange Angels – Laurie Anderson
  • 1989 Whirlwind – Danny Gottlieb

1990s

  • 1990 Changesbowie – David Bowie
  • 1990 Dead City Radio – William S. Burroughs
  • 1990 In Your Eyes – James D-Train Williams
  • 1990 Leningrad–Xpress – Peter Gordon
  • 1990 Passages – Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass
  • 1990 A Place Like This – Robbie Nevil
  • 1990 Song of the Sun – Jim Beard
  • 1990 To Be Continued... – Elton John
  • 1990 Tonight [Bonus Tracks] – David Bowie
  • 1991 Another Hand – David Sanborn
  • 1991 Sereno – Wilkins
  • 1991 Signature – Charlie Musselwhite
  • 1992 Road to Freedom – Grayson Hugh
  • 1992 A Dove – The Roches
  • 1992 Ese Soy Yo – Emmanuel
  • 1992 Flowers and Stones – Peter, Paul and Mary
  • 1992 Get a Little – G.E. Smith & Saturday Night Live Band
  • 1992 Gutterboy – Gutterboy
  • 1992 MTV Unplugged [EP] – Mariah Carey
  • 1992 MTV Unplugged [MTV Unplugged + 3] – Mariah Carey
  • 1992 Sun Sun – Casiopea Sax (Tenor)
  • 1992 Upfront – David Sanborn
  • 1993 Arc – Jimmy Haslip
  • 1993 Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell – Meat Loaf
  • 1993 I'm No Angel – Carole Davis
  • 1993 Love Scenes – Beverley Craven
  • 1993 Over My Heart – Laura Branigan
  • 1993 Press to Play [Bonus Tracks] – Paul McCartney
  • 1993 Ships at Sea, Sailors and Shoes – Ned Sublette
  • 1993 Short Cuts – Original Soundtrack
  • 1993 Sons of Soul – Tony! Toni! Tone!
  • 1993 Start a New Race – Paranoise
  • 1993 T.O.P. – Tower of Power
  • 1994 Hearsay – David Sanborn
  • 1994 Jewels – Chieli Minucci
  • 1994 Merry Christmas – Mariah Carey
  • 1994 One Day Closer – Jonathan Edwards
  • 1994 Whistling in the Wind – Leon Redbone
  • 1995 Cab Calloway Stands in for the Moon – Conjure
  • 1995 Caribou [Bonus Tracks]– Elton John
  • 1995 Chroniques Bluesymentales – Hubert-Felix Thiefaine
  • 1995 Cool and Steady and Easy – Brooklyn Funk Essentials
  • 1995 Greetings from the Gutter – Dave Stewart
  • 1995 My Temptation – Vivian Williams
  • 1995 Real Time – Richard Tee
  • 1995 Spanner in the Works – Rod Stewart
  • 1996 Bicycle – Livingston Taylor
  • 1996 Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  • 1996 Havana Calling – Orlando "Maraca" Valle Y Otra Vision
  • 1996 Live: The Real Deal – Buddy Guy
  • 1996 Living in Fear – The Power Station
  • 1996 No Talking Just Head – The Heads
  • 1996 Strings Attached – Peter Ecklund
  • 1997 Direct Plus – Tower of Power
  • 1997 Excess Baggage – Original Soundtrack
  • 1997 Monsters from the Deep – Ned Sublette & Lawrence Weiner
  • 1998 Kiss My Blues – Tony Z
  • 1998 Read 'em & Weep – Clyde Roberts
  • 1998 Secret Handshake – Geoff Muldaur
  • 1998 Vincent Laguardia Gambini Sings Just for You – Joe Pesci
  • 1999 Al Confini: Interzone – Various Artists
  • 1999 Inside – David Sanborn
  • 1999 Live on Breeze Hill – Rick Danko Band
  • 1999 She's Lightning When She Smiles – Dave Soldier
  • 1999 Sip the Wine – Rick Danko Band
  • 1999 Social Studies – Loudon Wainwright III

2000s

  • 2000 Dinosaur Tracks – Tower of Power
  • 2000 Kick It up a Step! – Strokeland Superband
  • 2000 Long Expectant Comes at Last – Cathal McConnell
  • 2000 Man in a Jupiter Hat – Lee Feldman
  • 2000 Over the Edge – Professor Louie & Crowmatix
  • 2000 Pasajes De Un Sueno – Ana Torroja
  • 2000 Sound Loaded – Ricky Martin
  • 2000 Sweet on You – Chieli Minucci
  • 2002 Heathen – David Bowie
  • 2002 Slow Burn – David Bowie
  • 2003 Oakland Zone – Tower of Power
  • 2003 Universo Fortis – Alberto Fortis
  • 2004 Our Kind of Soul – Daryl Hall & John Oates
  • 2004 Wichita Vortex Sutra – Allen Ginsberg
  • 2005 Here Comes Tomorrow – Ursula 1000
  • 2006 Can't Quit the Blues – Buddy Guy
  • 2006 Planet Earth – Dennis Chambers
  • 2007 Holly Cole – Holly Cole
  • 2008 Cadillac Records – Original Soundtrack
  • 2008 It Is Time for a Love Revolution – Lenny Kravitz
  • 2008 Easy Come Easy Go – Marianne Faithfull
  • 2009 Organ Soul Sessions – Lucky Peterson
  • 2009 Bible Belt – Diane Birch

2010s