Born and raised in New Orleans, Johnny began playing music under the influence of family friend Sam Butera, sax master with Louis Prima. Johnny’s special gift on the saxophone found him, at age seventeen, blowing in the top of Bourbon Street nightclubs. Here he developed his unique style under the tutelage of such notables as Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, James Moody, Cannonball Adderly, and Dizzy Gillespie.
He has performed for the Rat Pack at the Factory in Los Angeles, NBC Studios, Millionaires...
Born and raised in New Orleans, Johnny began playing music under the influence of family friend Sam Butera, sax master with Louis Prima. Johnny’s special gift on the saxophone found him, at age seventeen, blowing in the top of Bourbon Street nightclubs. Here he developed his unique style under the tutelage of such notables as Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, James Moody, Cannonball Adderly, and Dizzy Gillespie.
He has performed for the Rat Pack at the Factory in Los Angeles, NBC Studios, Millionaires Club, Sahara Tahoe and Las Vegas Sands. Johnny has played with dozens of recording stars from Freddy Fender to Sam Cooke to Aaron Neville and has recorded in New Orleans and Nashville. The ultimate compliment came from a jazz legend who never played with Johnny. The great Duke Ellington, on a tip from his trumpet player Cat Anderson, arrived at Papa Joes’ on Bourbon Street one night. He wanted to hear for himself the highly touted sounds of a featured young saxophonist by the name of Johnny Pennino. The Duke, loving the sound he heard, made a point of meeting Johnny after the performance to offer his valued words of praise.
A Louisiana Hall of Famer, Johnny Pennino’s depth of tone drips with emotion. It cries with you. It laughs with you. His seductive sound embraces you very soul. Powerful riffs of passion elevate your senses. Like the man himself, Johnny’s music is spiritual and romantic. He possesses a profound, engaging warmth. With his horn, he gives you his heart!?
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