Lenny hails from Washington D.C. and worked for many years in New Orleans and south Louisiana. While there, he had the opportunity to study with world-renowned jazz educator Alvin Batiste at Southern University, as well as the legendary jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis, among others. Perhaps the greatest influences came, however, from the strong left-handed, blues-oriented pianist Ray Bryant, to whom Lenny grew up listening, as well as the more modern, modal approach of McCoy Tyner. His bluesy, vocal phrasings remind the listener of a young Mose Allison, with a little Michael Franks mixed in. Lenny also brings his own unique style, providing a fresh innovative, and highly creative approach to the jazz listener. Lenny is featured on several albums, including six as leader: BAT IN THE HAT; the widely acclaimed REMEMBER INFINITY; the 1998 CD with world-renowned guitarist Charlie Byrd A DIFFERENT SHADE OF BLUE; JAZZAPHRENIA, with featured guests Frank Foster and Sonny Fortune; JAZZ TONIGHT featuring trumpeter Brian Lynch of The Phil Woods Quintet and Chip McNeill of Arturo Sandoval's group; and his latest CD, CATHEXIS, joined by the legendary David Fathead Newman on sax and flute; the lyrical Ray Codrington on flugelhorn and trumpet, the burning horns of Brian Lynch on trumpet and Chip McNeill on sax; and finally, the stellar Jane Powell who adds vocals on a couple of tracks. The next stop was New Orleans, the musical equivalent of gumbo. There, his formal and informal musical education grew exponentially. He studied with Ellis Marsalis (father of Wynton, Branford and Jason) and with renowned clarinetist Alvin Batiste. In true New Orleans fashion, Batiste taught his students to hear all music - be it Hendrix or Mozart or Basie - and appreciate what it offers. Marcus now lives in Roanoke, Virginia but covered a lot of miles before he got to Roanoke. At their house in D.C., Marcus' parents hosted a stream of accomplished musicians, including Charlie Byrd and pianist Ray Bryant. It's not quite the old "Mama sang bass, daddy sang tenor," routine, but his mother did play the upright bass, and his dad did play piano. Marcus' twelve years in that scene also included a stint as house pianist at the Meridien Hotel, as well as performances at three Jazz & Heritage Festivals. In these years Marcus recorded his first release, 1983's BAT IN THE HAT. In fact, the airplay he currently enjoys is due in part to DJ's who remembered his first record and knew Marcus was worth the time. Later, Lenny moved from the Big Easy to North Carolina, where he met the rest of his trio, Peter Ingram (drums and partner in Lengram Inc.) and John Brown (bass). Peter, formerly from London, England, has been a central figure on the jazz scene in the Raleigh-Durham NC area for many years. His band, “Group Sax”, has recorded three albums, won several prestigious awards, and toured the Southeast extensively. He has worked with many jazz greats including Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Zoot Sims, Bud Shank, and Buddy DeFranco to name a few. Recording credits include dates with pianist Sir Roland Hanna, guitarist Charlie Byrd, saxophonists Frank Foster and Sonny Fortune, David Newman, trumpeter Brian Lynch and vocalist Carol Sloane. John Brown is native of Fayetteville, NC and has been performing as a professional bassist since his teens. He has performed in the US and abroad with artists like Wynton, Ellis and Delfeayo Marsalis, Elvin Jones, Cedar Walton, Vanessa Rubin and Mark Turner and boasts a Grammy nomination for his performance and co-writing on Nnenna Freelon’s 1995 Concord release, "Shaking Free." John’s extensive performance experience also includes feature films, television movies and theater including the television series, "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" and the Japan tour of Broadway’s "Blues in the Night." He is currently Director of Jazz Studies at Duke University. The trio has built a solid reputation in North Carolina, which translates into regular trips back there for Marcus. They have enjoyed the company of a vast array of great GUEST ARTISTS over the years. Lenny and the Trio would like to thank you, the fans, for all the support over the years. They feel fortunate to be successful in a very demanding field and knows it is the fans that make it all possible. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL either Lenny or Peter at aljo3388@aol.com or peter.ingram@duke.edu