Lou Marini: sax
Alessandro Chiappetta: chitarra
Gianluca Di Ienno: organo Hammond
Enzo Zirilli: batteria
Alex ‘Kid’ Gariazzo: chitarra, voce
The meeting between Marini and Zirilli took place a few years ago in London, at the famous Ronnie Scott’s club, where the legendary saxophonist was on the bill with the Blues Brothers (he is the only remaining member of the original band from the film); immediately after, Enzo was performing with his group ZiroBop. At the end of their respective sets, a fiery jam session was born, and from that moment came the shared intention to play together again. Lou Marini’s collaborations are countless and span an extraordinarily wide musical horizon (Frank Zappa, James Taylor, Donald Fagen, Steely Dan, to name just a few), much like those of Enzo Zirilli (including Dado Moroni, Gloria Gaynor, Enrico Pieranunzi, Liane Carroll, Jim Mullen). These are joined by the work of three more Italian musical excellences: Gianluca Di Ienno (Fabrizio Bosso, Bebo Ferra), Alessandro Chiappetta (Paolo Fresu, Roberto Gatto, Ares Tavolazzi), and Alex “Kid” Gariazzo (Treves Blues Band, Michael McDermott, Jono Manson, Doug Seegers, Scarlet Rivera, Smallable Ensemble, gifted with a crystal-clear voice and remarkable guitar technique). Thus, a supergroup was born—one that moves with absolute freedom between original compositions and classics of jazz, soul, and funk. This explosive partnership revealed its full power and brilliance during the concert held at FolkClub in February 2024. From there, Lou Marini & The Italian Groovers quite literally took off for a hugely successful series of concerts throughout Italy, earning extraordinary acclaim and further shaping and enriching the band’s groove. It was only natural, then, that Lou decided to record and produce an album with The Italian Groovers, which will be presented on the occasion of this unmissable concert. Louis Marini (of unmistakably Italian heritage), whose father was the director of the U.S. Navy band, is also known by the nickname Blue Lou. He plays soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone, flute, piccolo, alto flute, clarinet, and percussion, and is also an arranger and composer. At the age of ten, Lou began taking clarinet lessons from his father and Frank Corbi, later studying jazz in Dallas. In 1971 he moved to New York. A member of the Saturday Night Live band from 1975 to 1983, he played himself in the films "The Blues Brothers" [truly iconic and unforgettable, with his big mustache and long flowing hair as he plays his sax standing on the counter of the dive bar where he works, while Aretha Franklin sings “Think!” to her husband, ed.] and "Blues Brothers 2000". His worldwide fame stems from these and other television and film appearances, though he had previously been a member of Blood, Sweat & Tears. Among his prestigious collaborations are Frank Zappa, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Eric Clapton, Bill Evans, Gerry Mulligan, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, Donald Fagen, and Peter Tosh. Accompanying this living legend are Alex “Kid” Gariazzo on guitar and vocals, Alessandro Chiappetta on guitar, Gianluca Di Ienno on Hammond organ, and Enzo Zirilli on drums.
