Robin Boudreaux

Robin Boudreaux (born Feburary 17, 1977) is an American jazz saxophonist, composer and multi-instrumentalist.

Born in southern Louisiana, Boudreaux began performing and writing music at a very young age and by his teenage years was a proficient performer on piano, trumpet, oboe and saxophones. His first formal saxophone studies were with saxophonist and mouthpiece designer Santy Runyon. After graduating high school he began university studies under the tutelage of clarinetist Alvin Batiste at Southern University in Baton Rouge. Upon the completion of Batiste’s degree course Boudreaux furthered his studies in New Orleans, Louisiana with pianist Ellis Marsalis and saxophonist Ed Peterson at the University of New Orleans’ Jazz Studies Program and also studied with trumpeter and composer Clyde Kerr Jr. of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. During this time he performed professionally throughout New Orleans, recorded with a variety of groups, studied and continued composing for a variety of instrumental groups and ensembles.

The year 2008 saw the release of Boudreaux’s “New Symphonics for Jeremy,” a tribute album of spontaneous compositions recorded in 2006, shortly after the death of his youngest brother. This album marks Boudreaux’s first release that is a result of his experimentation with spontaneous group composition, directed improvisations and solo pieces. That same year also saw the release of “Submerge,” a duo recording with percussionist and producer, Justin Peake . That recording focuses on the use of the therapeutic and healing properties of high-frequency sounds and their resonant effects on the body. These frequencies are incorporated into the multi-layered duo compositions.

Boudreaux currently lives in Chicago, Illinois and leads a quartet that includes collaborator, Chicago avant-garde pianist, Jim Baker and features Boudreaux's motivic pastiche approach to composition and improvisation. He also composes and arranges for small ensembles and leads a large improvising group called the Elastic Large Ensemble which consists of some of the city’s finest improvisers.