Leo Pellegrino, also known as Leo P, is a baritone saxophonist based in New York City. He was born June 3, 1991, in the city of Pittsburgh. He is the youngest son of accordionist and composer Stephen Pellegrino.
Leo graduated from city schools — Pittsburgh Liberty Elementary School (K-5) and Rogers Middle School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA). He got his degree at the Manhattan School of Music in 2013.
He is a member of the "brass house" band Too Many Zooz and former member of the Lucky Chops brass band. On November 30, 2019, Pellegrino and alto saxophonist Grace Kelly announced a long-term collaboration project known as 2SAXY.
While at the Manhattan School of Music, Pellegrino recorded with its Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra. Scott Yanow's review of the album noted "Pellegrino's use of extreme high notes as punctuation during his passionate solo on 'Let There Be Swing'."
Pellegrino is "perhaps best known for his impressive dance moves while performing on the baritone saxophone. A number of videos with Pellegrino have gained wide popularity on YouTube, due in equal parts to his playing, dancing, and loud hair and dress styles."
Many videos of Too Many Zooz have gone 'viral' showing the band busking in New York City Subway stations, particularly the always busy Union Square station." Too Many Zooz featured on Beyoncé Knowles's 2016 album Lemonade and joined her for a performance of "Daddy Lessons" at the 2016 Country Music Association Awards.
Pellegrino was a guest player with the Metropole Orkest in a 2017 BBC Proms concert on the works of Charles Mingus. John Fordham of The Guardian commented on "Pellegrino's hook-punctuated sax playing and busker's line in simultaneous pirouettes, knee-trembles and high kicks [...] by accident or design, the newcomer did emphasise the joyous impulsiveness of an American musical giant often characterised as only a tortured genius." Pellegrino performed with Too Many Zooz at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London in November 2017.