Lenny Pickett

Intro

Lenny Pickett is a saxophonist, composer, arranger and television bandleader. His place in a television career archive comes from music rather than a recurring fictional character: he joined Saturday Night Live as its tenor saxophone soloist in 1985 and became musical director in 1995. His career also connects the horn-driven funk of Tower of Power with recording sessions, concert composition and music education.

Career snapshot

Pickett developed his early playing in Berkeley, California, including work in bars and on the street. His years with Tower of Power put him inside an ensemble in which horn parts were central to the sound. Later collaborations included David Bowie, Talking Heads and Laurie Anderson. NYU's faculty biography also identifies his Borneo Horns recording and a Bessie Award, placing concert and dance-related work alongside his broadcasting career.

The entry point

Saturday Night Live offers a familiar entry point, but its band has responsibilities that extend beyond the few musical moments a home viewer sees. In his All About Jazz interview, Pickett described playing for the studio audience, working through commercial breaks and handling the band's logistics. He also discussed reading scripts and coordinating with writers and producers. Listen to transitions as well as featured solos: the ensemble helps a live comedy show keep moving.

Screen identity and style

Pickett's saxophone sound links rhythm-and-blues energy with an interest in the instrument's expressive possibilities. His interview emphasizes entertainment and the long exchange between jazz and popular music rather than rigid genre boundaries. A useful listening exercise is to compare an exposed tenor line with the tightly coordinated sound of a horn section. The same instrument can function as a leading voice, an accent or part of a larger rhythmic texture.

Collaborations and patterns

Sam Coley's interview page documents Pickett's work on Bowie's 1983 Serious Moonlight tour and his later saxophone contributions to Heathen in 2002. His Combo Nuvo biography describes another set of partnerships: choreographers including Bebe Miller and Steven Petronio, and concert ensembles such as the Kronos Quartet. These settings ask different things of an arranger. A piece for dance or a chamber ensemble is not simply a television band chart moved to another stage.

Era reflection

The Prescription, released in 2014, paired Pickett with the Finnish UMO orchestra and Rich Shemaria, according to his Combo Nuvo biography. That project provides a later listening stop beyond the television work. Together with the Borneo Horns recording, it shows why his discography should be explored as more than a list of guest appearances. Composition and ensemble organization are recurring parts of his practice, alongside the instantly audible saxophone playing.

Legacy and rediscovery

Pickett's NYU teaching and his long association with a live television ensemble make his career a useful example of several musical jobs coexisting. For rediscovery, begin with an SNL performance from his tenure, then compare Tower of Power recordings and his work as a leader. The photograph here documents a 2018 return to Tower of Power's anniversary stage; it is a dated performance image, not a photograph of the original 1970s lineup.

A career in pictures

Selected career milestones. Years identify the production or labeled milestone; recurring actors may join a series later. Artwork represents the production and may show other cast members. Select an image for a larger view.

Rewatch notes

• Joined the SNL band in 1985; became musical director in 1995.
• Worked on David Bowie's Serious Moonlight tour in 1983.
• The Prescription was a 2014 collaboration with UMO and Rich Shemaria.

Career highlights

Saturday Night Live (1975) as Tenor saxophone soloist from 1985; musical director from 1995
Production artwork; years identify the work, not necessarily the first year of the actor’s participation.

Tower of Power: 50th anniversary concert (2018) as Performing saxophonist
Oakland, June 2, 2018. The same performance photograph is used for the portrait.