Biography
B.D. Lenz, a jazz fusion guitarist, developed his signature style through the integration of mathematical training and music theory, resulting in distinctive grooves paired with melodic content on the independently recorded and produced albums Tell the World (1997) and Lost and Found (1999), both tracked at S.S. Sound Studios in Hamilton Square, NJ. In 2001 the B.D. Lenz group included Lenz on electric guitar, Geoff Mattoon on sax, James Rosocha on bass, and Tom Cottone on drums. Brendan Buckley appeared as drummer on the first release while Cottone handled the second.
Bernard Davidson Lenz, raised in West Milford, NJ, encountered jazz later than most musicians. Exposure arrived via a clinic presented by Mike Stern at the Musician's Institute in Hollywood, CA, where Lenz completed a one-year music program between 1989 and 1990. He avoided live appearances during that time, devoting himself instead to guitar practice and theoretical study. After traveling throughout the United States and Europe, Lenz returned to New Jersey to pursue degrees in math education and music at Trenton State College, later renamed the College of New Jersey, from 1991 to 1995. Mike Stern and Pat Metheny functioned as his entry points into jazz; he absorbed their recordings and attended Stern’s performances at the 55 Bar in Manhattan’s West Village. These influences prompted deeper listening to Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Charlie Parker. Lenz took brief lessons with Stern, who recommended further study with pianist Charlie Banacos. After receiving his B.A. in math education with a music minor in 1995, he began teaching mathematics at Lenape Valley High School in Stanhope, NJ. A jazz band formed in 1991, leading to original compositions and local gigs, yet a stable lineup did not coalesce until 1997, when more prominent engagements followed at the Morristown Community Theatre in Morristown, NJ, the Stanhope House in Stanhope, NJ, New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ, and at the 55 Bar, Wetlands, and the Panasonic Village Jazz Festival in New York City.
Rock music occupied Lenz before jazz entered his life. Like many of his contemporaries he absorbed Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Rush, while guitar role models included Joe Satriani and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Saxophone had been his first instrument, begun at age ten and played in marching bands plus pit orchestras through junior high and West Milford High School. Guitar studies started at fourteen, accompanied by local band work until he recognized the demands of a professional music career. Daily guitar practice and ongoing composition remained constants, and his attachment to rock and other styles persisted.
Outside his jazz ensemble Lenz appeared with rock singer John Virag, folk-country singer/songwriter Jeff Callahan, and jazz drummer Greg Frederico. Following the reception of Lost and Found, Lenz incorporated funk, soul, R&B, rock, and jazz into his work while retaining the foundational impact of Stern and Metheny.
Bernard Davidson Lenz, raised in West Milford, NJ, encountered jazz later than most musicians. Exposure arrived via a clinic presented by Mike Stern at the Musician's Institute in Hollywood, CA, where Lenz completed a one-year music program between 1989 and 1990. He avoided live appearances during that time, devoting himself instead to guitar practice and theoretical study. After traveling throughout the United States and Europe, Lenz returned to New Jersey to pursue degrees in math education and music at Trenton State College, later renamed the College of New Jersey, from 1991 to 1995. Mike Stern and Pat Metheny functioned as his entry points into jazz; he absorbed their recordings and attended Stern’s performances at the 55 Bar in Manhattan’s West Village. These influences prompted deeper listening to Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Charlie Parker. Lenz took brief lessons with Stern, who recommended further study with pianist Charlie Banacos. After receiving his B.A. in math education with a music minor in 1995, he began teaching mathematics at Lenape Valley High School in Stanhope, NJ. A jazz band formed in 1991, leading to original compositions and local gigs, yet a stable lineup did not coalesce until 1997, when more prominent engagements followed at the Morristown Community Theatre in Morristown, NJ, the Stanhope House in Stanhope, NJ, New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ, and at the 55 Bar, Wetlands, and the Panasonic Village Jazz Festival in New York City.
Rock music occupied Lenz before jazz entered his life. Like many of his contemporaries he absorbed Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Rush, while guitar role models included Joe Satriani and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Saxophone had been his first instrument, begun at age ten and played in marching bands plus pit orchestras through junior high and West Milford High School. Guitar studies started at fourteen, accompanied by local band work until he recognized the demands of a professional music career. Daily guitar practice and ongoing composition remained constants, and his attachment to rock and other styles persisted.
Outside his jazz ensemble Lenz appeared with rock singer John Virag, folk-country singer/songwriter Jeff Callahan, and jazz drummer Greg Frederico. Following the reception of Lost and Found, Lenz incorporated funk, soul, R&B, rock, and jazz into his work while retaining the foundational impact of Stern and Metheny.
Albums
