Louis William Marini Jr. (born May 13, 1945), known as "Blue Lou" Marini, is an American saxophonist, arranger, and composer. He is best known for his work in jazz, rock, blues, and soul music, as well as his association with The Blues Brothers.
Marini was born in Charleston, South Carolina. His parents were Italian immigrants from the region of Trentino. He graduated from Fairless High School in Navarre, Ohio. His father, Lou Marini Sr., was the high school's band director and wrote the school song. Fairless bestows the annual Lou Marini Award in honor of Marini Sr. who died in May 2008. Both Lou Marini Sr. and Lou Marini Jr. were inducted into the Fairless Alumni Association Hall of Honor in May 2010. In June 2010, Marini Jr. was named artistic director at the first Brianza Blues Festival, in Villa Reale (Monza, Italy). Marini attended North Texas State University College of Music (now known as the University of North Texas College of Music), where he played in the One O'Clock Lab Band. From 1972 to 1974 he played in Blood, Sweat & Tears. From 1975 to 1983, he was a member of the Saturday Night Live house band. He was a member of The Blues Brothers band, appearing in The Blues Brothers movie and its sequel, Blues Brothers 2000, playing the part of "Blue Lou", a moniker given by Dan Aykroyd.
He played on Frank Zappa's 1977 album Zappa in New York, on Cindy Bullens' 1978 album Desire Wire, and has worked with Aerosmith, Deodato, Maureen McGovern, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Dionne Warwick, the Buddy Rich Big Band, and the Woody Herman Orchestra.
Marini has spent most of his professional life working as a sideman and arranger. In 1986, he recorded a mournful, melancholy solo sax for the soundtrack of HBO's 1987 animated adaptation of Bernard Waber's children's book The House on East 88th St. which was released under the title Lyle, Lyle Crocodile. In 2004, he recorded his first recording as a bandleader, with Ray Reach and the Magic City Jazz Orchestra, titled Lou's Blues (2004). This album features his arrangements and compositions, many of which have become favorites for the Lab Bands at the University of North Texas. The liner notes of the album were written by Grammy Award-winning composer, arranger, and producer Bob Belden.
On March 23, 2010, he released Blue Lou and Misha Project - Highly Classified, a collaboration with Misha Segal, an Israeli pianist and composer.