Chicago saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist Dustin Laurenzi has developed a personal approach to improvisation and composition that has garnered the attention of the city's creative music community. Laurenzi's music is inspired and informed by jazz, folk, and improvised music. His improvisational sensibilities have made him a sought-after musician in many circles of Chicago's vibrant music scene and beyond.
Laurenzi has been a leader/co-leader of his own projects Twin Talk, Edith Judith, Snaketime, and Natural Language, as well as a member of bands led by Macie Stewart, Matt Ulery, Katie Ernst, Juan Pastor, Quentin Coaxum and others. He has released several albums as a leader/co-leader, including Laurenzi/Cunningham/Bryan’s 2022 Northern Spy Records debut A Better Ghost, described by DownBeat Magazine as “…a moodily poetic and genre-bending jewel…” . Laurenzi’s latest project is Edith Judith, an indie-folk collaboration with bassist/vocalist Katie Ernst. The band’s debut Bones and Structure is out now on Ruination Recording Co.
Laurenzi has toured extensively with acclaimed songwriter Bill Callahan and is featured on Callahan's 2024 release Resuscitate! He has toured with Grammy award-winning artist Bon Iver, with performances at Coachella Music Festival, Primavera Sound, and the Hollywood Bowl, among others, and appears on the band's critically lauded 2016 release 22, A Million.
Laurenzi earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music in 2011. He has performed/recorded with Bill Callahan, Jeff Parker & The New Breed, Marquis Hill, Makaya McCraven, Matt Ulery, Russ Johnson, Bon Iver, Japanese Breakfast, and This Is The Kit, and has been featured at the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, and the Kennedy Center. Laurenzi is currently an adjunct music faculty member at University of Wisconsin Parkside.
"Laurenzi has already achieved one of the toughest things to do in jazz without overdoing it: a genuine presence." - Chicago Reader
“...superbly winning...like listening to a human voice.” - Newcity Music
“…a commanding improviser…” - DownBeat Magazine
“It may be cliché to describe Laurenzi's arrangements as having breathed new life into Moondog's music, but incredibly, that's what the saxophonist has managed to do.” - Exclaim!