Lucia Sarmiento to Release New Project “Escape”

Peruvian American Tenor Saxophonist Lucia Sarmiento, Who has Toured with Pitbull and Karol G, Emerges as a Rising Star of the Contemporary Jazz Scene with Escape

Featuring Snarky Puppy’s Mark Lettieri

Available February 21, 2025

On her remarkable debut album Escape, Peruvian American tenor saxophonist Lucia Sarmiento emerges as a rising star of the contemporary jazz scene, delivering beautifully intricate melodies that resonate with both depth and adventure. “When I play the saxophone, I love that feeling of danger,” says Sarmiento, who now calls Chicago home after ten years in Minneapolis. With a powerful tenor sound and an effervescent personality, she explains, “I’m drawn to music filled with intensity and risk that captures every fiber of your being in the moment; that’s why I love jazz.”

Standing at 5’3” and weighing in at 125 pounds, she embraces the contradiction of her stature and the loud, commanding sound her tenor sax produces. “This is me. Here I am. I strive to always take the risk of playing what I hear in my head.”

Sarmiento’s spirited contemporary jazz project, Escape, tells the story of her musical journey as a dynamic tenor saxophonist passionate about jazz. Her initial influences were old-school jazz titans like Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, and John Coltrane, whom she encountered during her high school years in her native Lima. In 2013, while attending the McNally Smith College of Music in Saint Paul, Minn. on a scholarship, she discovered formidable modern jazz stalwarts like Michael Brecker, Bob Mintzer, and Chris Potter.

“Minneapolis raised me musically,” she reflects. “It’s a smaller city, but the music scene is vibrant, steeped in the legacy of Prince. I began performing with Prince’s long-time collaborators and Weather Report’s legendary drummer Eric Gravatt right out of college. I explored every genre from Minneapolis funk to brass band, and from Motown to free jazz. What was really important was that I came to develop my own sound. At first, it wasn’t easy to keep up with the loud drums, distorted guitars and very experienced funk players, so I spent lots of time working on my sound and time. I also admire how Brecker, Mintzer, and Potter play with so much strength and a sense of urgency—that’s how I want to play.”

Escape is a charming amalgam that marries ethereal and upbeat melodies with saxophone and flute jazz fusion grooves, guitar-edged grit, synthesizer colors, funky beats, and Afro-Peruvian rhythms. “I always felt different as a Latina in jazz,” Sarmiento shares. “For years, I had been a side woman, but I always dreamed of leading my own band and telling my story through music. I have a lot to say and have experienced many things, good and bad. I left my country at an early age to pursue my dreams. Music has always been the lodestar illuminating my path, and it has taken me all over the world.”

Sarmiento began playing classical guitar at seven and saxophone at 12. She sold her toys at a flea market to buy her first electric guitar, gravitating towards rock music and learning solos in the spirit of Metallica and AC/DC. It wasn’t until high school that she discovered jazz. Later, she migrated to Buenos Aires and finally Minneapolis to study jazz saxophone. In 2021, an acquaintance reached out, asking if she still played guitar and saxophone and, if so, whether she was available for a big pop tour. “Even though I hadn’t played guitar in ten years, I said yes. I sent some audition videos, and ten days later, I was on a plane to Miami to rehearse with superstar Pitbull for a year-long stadium tour.” As part of a 60-person crew, Sarmiento thrived as the saxophonist and guitar rock star–and only woman–in Pitbull’s band.

Reflecting on her experiences, she notes, “My 13-year-old self would be proud to know I achieved my dream of performing in front of 70,000 people every night. The pop world is very different from jazz. In jazz, the music is paramount, while in pop, the visuals and the show often take precedence. Sometimes, I felt like I was more of an actress than anything else, and I loved it.”

After her tour with Pitbull, Sarmiento was enlisted by Colombian reggaeton star Karol G to play saxophone and flute on her 2023 US stadium tour, all while focusing on her own music ready for release.

Escape Track by Track Summary

Escape features 11 tracks. It opens with the electro-jazz piece “Signal Flow,” which combines a funky bebop bass and guitar melody with the dreamy textures of her saxophone, vocals, and flute. This is followed by “Morning Delight,” showcasing a smooth, sexy saxophone melody that develops into an energetic jazz fusion piece. Sarmiento considers it a follow-up to the title track, which was released as an experimental single that initially launched the project. The song, composed of three movements, takes listeners on a journey of styles, textures, and emotions like sensuality, happiness and uncertainty led by the tenor saxophone.

The third track “Look Up” is Sarmiento’s flagship song. Written in a lively 12/8 time signature, Look Up is deeply rooted in Afro-Peruvian influences. The beautiful, innocent melody dances over the intricate rhythm and occasional odd meter, showcasing Sarmiento’s ability to blend beauty with intricacy. David Feily’s contributions on 12-string and steel guitars enhance the song’s production quality, while the track pays homage to the sounds of the Brecker Brothers. “I remember sitting in my studio during a long cold Minneapolis winter, looking out the window at the gray sky. I remembered the stunning sunsets in my hometown of Lima, when the sun starts disappearing into the Pacific Ocean and felt homesick. So I started writing music, and ‘Look Up’ was born. I initially called it ‘Peruvian Skies,’ but I felt that ‘Look Up’ also captures the song’s positive, innocent nature.”

The second single, “Porcelain,” reimagines the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 1999. It begins with a vocal choir singing beautiful harmonies before transitioning into a saxophone story. “Originally a ballad built on five major scale notes, I wondered, what would it sound like if Weather Report played it?” she muses. “I wanted to sing it myself, so I recorded the melody and layered nearly twenty tracks of vocal harmonies for a dreamy, ethereal quality.”

Snarky Puppy’s star guitarist Mark Lettieri is featured on the track “Dreamland,” which opens with a wave of dreamy sounds and a catchy melody, evolving into a robust 7/8 groove highlighted by a gritty guitar solo in Lettieri’s unique style. The song concludes with a stunning string arrangement that dances alongside Sarmiento’s expressive saxophone. “I had a specific sound in mind for this song—lots of instruments, strings, vocals, an in-your-face guitar solo, synthesizers, and my saxophone floating on top. I decided to take a chance and follow my instincts, reaching out to Lettieri, Liz Lister (strings), and Jemma Heigis (vocals) and they added their magic to my composition,” she explains.

Another featured guest is trumpeter Adam Meckler, who concludes the track “The Prof,” named after the Prophet 5 synthesizer on which the song was originally written. Switching from tenor to alto saxophone for this track, Sarmiento gave Meckler the freedom to craft the ending. “Adam is amazing—he was my college professor and is now an esteemed collaborator. I told him to do his thing over the end of the song, and he did, creating a fantastic horn arrangement and a face-melting trumpet solo.”

Sarmiento’s favorite song on the album is “Skipping a Beat.” “This song feels very passionate to me, almost romantic. Many people may not think jazz fusion can be romantic, but I do. It’s an adventurous song—being in love is perhaps the most adventurous thing one can do. ‘Skipping a Beat’ captures the thrill of love, that moment when your heart races with excitement and skips a beat. Hopefully, my drummer doesn’t, though!”

She wraps up the album with “Late Night Snacks,” a short, gently rhythmic continuation of “Skipping a Beat.” “It’s like a bow that ties the album together,” she notes.

Other highlights include a smooth jazz cover of John Mayer’s “Rosie” and the adventurous “Tape Town,” inspired by Chris Potter’s 2009 album Ultrahang. “It’s my most experimental piece,” she admits. “It’s fun to play, especially with a quirky line in an odd meter. There’s an open sax solo where everyone drops out except for the drummer and me. It has the darkest sound on the album, with lots of distorted guitar.”

Regarding the album title, Sarmiento states, “Escape is perfect. The song was written during a turbulent time in my life. At the time, the process was so healing to be with myself and my music in the studio. And that’s what music has always been to me. A place where my mind can escape to and tune out all the unnecessary noise or problems. My place of refuge and solace. With “Escape,” I can leave all the noise behind.”

For more information on Lucia Sarmiento, please visit:

www.luciasarmiento.com | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram

DL Media