Len Pierro

I play soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, piccolo, flute, alto flute, clarinet and bass clarinet. I studied saxophone and clarinet primarily with Harold Karabell and flute with Adeline Tomasone. In 1983 I received a Bachelor of Music from Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts. I also studied improvisation - primarily with Brian Trainor, a few months with Dennis Sandole and a couple of lessons with Phil Woods. Professionally I’ve played in a wide variety of situations including small jazz groups, big bands, commercial bands in clubs and at society parties, pit orchestras and recording sessions. I’ve had the opportunity to travel and play with many great musicians. I’m formerly a participant in the internationally acclaimed BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. I've released two CDs of my original compositions and arrangements for big band, titled The Len Pierro Jazz Orchestra - The Third Quarter in 2020 and The Len Pierro Jazz Orchestra - As I Was Saying in 2025.

The Len Pierro Jazz Orchestra: As I Was Saying

Read "As I Was Saying" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
February 17, 2025

Remember the good old days before high-tech hardware and software seized control and the country's leading big bands were recorded in a studio or in concert employing a wide dynamic range with no overdubs or splices to enhance the performance? Composer and arranger Len Pierro does, which is why he planned As I Was Saying, the second album with his Philadelphia-based Jazz Orchestra, to mirror those classic recordings by the likes of Woody Herman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich ...

Album Review

The Len Pierro Jazz Orchestra: The Third Quarter

Read "The Third Quarter" reviewed by Edward Blanco

by Edward Blanco
February 7, 2021

Flourtown, PA native Len Pierro unveils one monster big band album that will be reverberating well beyond the boundaries of Pennsylvania and from radio studios throughout the jazz landscape for quite a long time. The Third Quarter is The Len Pierro Jazz Orchestra's recent offering and what an offering of fresh original compositions and re-imagined jazz standards it is. The 63-year-old saxophonist has produced one heck of an album of traditional straight-ahead swinging jazz that defines what ...

Album Review

The Len Pierro Jazz Orchestra: The Third Quarter

Read "The Third Quarter" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
January 9, 2021

Any big-band album that opens with a rollicking Four Brothers-style saxophone soli is all but guaranteed to capture one's ear and interest. As it turns out, the buoyant “Fill in the Gap," on which the sax section sparkles, is but the first of many sonic delights on The Third Quarter, a marvelous new CD by Philadelphia-based composer / arranger Len Pierro and his world-class Jazz Orchestra. Simply put, there are no discernible blemishes to mar a bright and picturesque tour ...