Robin Eubanks (born October 25, 1955) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

and

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

slide trombonist, the brother of guitarist

Kevin Eubanks Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957) is an American jazz and fusion guitarist and composer. He was the leader of The Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led the Primetime Band on the short lived ''The Jay Le ...

and trumpeter Duane Eubanks. His uncles are jazz pianist

Ray Bryant Raphael Homer "Ray" Bryant (December 24, 1931 – June 2, 2011) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 24, 1931. His mother was an ordained minister who had tau ...

and bassist

Tommy Bryant Thomas Bryant (May 21, 1930 – January 3, 1982) was an American jazz double-bassist. Bryant grew up in a musical family in Philadelphia; his mother was a choir director, his brother Ray Bryant was a pianist, and another brother, Len Bryant, is ...

. His mother, Vera Eubanks, was famed pianist Kenny Barron's first piano teacher.

Biography

Robin Eubanks was born on October 25, 1955, in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. After graduating cum laude from the University of the Arts, he moved to New York City where he first appeared on the jazz scene in the early 1980s. He played with

Slide Hampton Locksley Wellington Hampton (April 21, 1932 – November 18, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tuba and flugelho ...

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific out ...

, and

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

. Eubanks also the musical director with the jazz drummer

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

and the Jazz Messengers. He also was a member of jazz drummer

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such widely celebrate ...

Jazz Machine. He was a contributor on fellow jazz trombonist

Steve Turre Stephen Johnson Turre (born September 12, 1948, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American jazz trombonist and a pioneer of using Conch (instrument), seashells as instruments, a composer, arranger, and educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. For ...

's 2003 release ''One4J: Paying Homage to

J.J. Johnson J.J. Johnson (January 22, 1924 – February 4, 2001), born James Louis Johnson and also known as Jay Jay Johnson, was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. Johnson was one of the earliest trombonists to embrace bebop. Biography ...

''. Eubanks has also released several albums as a bandleader. He played for 15 years in

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

ist

Dave Holland David “Dave” Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for over 40 years. His extensive discography r ...

's quintet, sextet, octet and

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...

recommended Eubanks for the position at the

Oberlin Conservatory The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is a private music conservatory in Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. It was founded in 1865 and is the second oldest conservatory and oldest continually operating conservatory in the United States. It is one of ...

in Ohio, where he taught for 20 years as a tenured professor of Jazz Trombone and Jazz Composition. He has also taught at

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on Hu ...

and

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. He was a member in the all-star group the

SFJAZZ Collective The SFJAZZ Collective is an American jazz ensemble comprising nine performer/composers, launched in 2004 by SFJAZZ, a West Coast non-profit jazz institution and the presenter of the annual San Francisco Jazz Festival. Collective activities The SFJ ...

for 10 years 2008-2019. His notable students include trombonist Andy Hunter of the

WDR Big Band WDR may refer to: * Waddell & Reed (stock ticker: WDR), an American asset management and financial planning company * Walt Disney Records, an American record label of the Disney Music Group * WDR neuron, a type of neuron involved in pain signalling ...

. Robin is one of the pioneers of

M-Base The term "M-Base" is used in several ways. In the 1980s, a loose collective of young African American musicians including Steve Coleman, Graham Haynes, Cassandra Wilson, Geri Allen, Robin Eubanks, and Greg Osby emerged in Brooklyn with a new sou ...

. He has appeared on numerous television shows and specials, including ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...

'', ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

'' and ''

The Grammys The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

''. he also pioneered the use of electronic effects with the trombone. Robin is a frequent lecturer, guest soloist and clinician at various colleges and universities in the U.S. and around the world. Eubanks was voted #1 Trombonist by ''

Down Beat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

'' magazine and

Jazz Times ''JazzTimes'' is an American magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade of growth ...

Discography

As leader

*'' Different Perspectives'' ( JMT, 1988) *'' Dedication'' (JMT, 1989) - with

*''

Karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...

'' (JMT, 1990) *''

Mental Images Mental Images GmbH (stylized as mental images) was a German computer generated imagery (CGI) software firm based in Berlin, Germany, and was acquired by Nvidia in 2007, then rebranded as Nvidia Advanced Rendering Center (ARC), and is still prov ...

'' (JMT, 1994) *''Wake Up Call'' (Sirocco Jazz, 1997) *Robin Eubanks Sextet: ''4: JJ / Slide / Curtis and Al'' (TCB, 1998) *Mental Images: Get 2 It (REM, 2001) *''EB3 Live Vol. 1'' (CD and DVD, RKM, 2007) *Robin Eubanks and Mental Images: Klassik RocK Vol. 1 (

Artistshare ArtistShare is the internet's first commercial crowdfunding website.Crowd-Funding 101: What Every Musician Needs for a Successful Campaign It also operates as a record label and business model for artists which enables them to fund their projec ...

, 2014) *Robin Eubanks and the Mass Line Big Band: More Than Meets The Ear (

, 2015)

As sideman

With

Geri Allen Geri Antoinette Allen (June 12, 1957 – June 27, 2017) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. In addition to her career as a performer and bandleader, Allen was also an associate professor of music at the University of Pittsburgh ...

*''

Open on All Sides in the Middle ''Open on All Sides in the Middle'' is an album by pianist Geri Allen recorded in late 1986 and released on the German Minor Music label.The Gathering'' (Verve, 1998) With

*'' Not Yet'' (Soul Note, 1988) *'' I Get a Kick Out of Bu'' (Soul Note, 1988) With

Steve Coleman Steve Coleman (born September 20, 1956) is an American saxophonist, composer, bandleader and music theorist. In 2014, he was named a MacArthur Fellow. Early life Steve Coleman was born and grew up in South Side, Chicago. He started playing al ...

*''

World Expansion ''World Expansion'' (subtitled ''(By the M-Base Neophyte)'') is the third album by saxophonist Steve Coleman recorded in 1986 and released on the JMT label.Sonny Fortune Cornelius "Sonny" Fortune (May 19, 1939 – October 25, 2018) was an American jazz saxophonist. Fortune played soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, clarinet, and flute. Biography He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United Stat ...

*''

A Better Understanding ''A Better Understanding'' is an album by saxophonist Sonny Fortune which was recorded in 1995 and released on the Blue Note label.Craig Handy Craig Mitchell Handy (born September 25, 1962) is an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Oakland, California, he attended North Texas State University from 1981 to 1984, and following this played with Art Blakey, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Haynes, Ab ...

*'' Split Second Timing'' (Arabesque, 1992) *''

Reflections in Change ''Reflections in Change'' is the third album led by saxophonist Craig Handy which was recorded in 1999 and released on the Sirrocco Music label. Reception The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow said "A fine hard bop tenor saxophonist, Craig Handy p ...

'' (Sirocco Music, 1999) With

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...

*''

Big Band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...

'' (1996) With

*''

The Razor's Edge ''The Razor's Edge'' is a 1944 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. It tells the story of Larry Darrell, an American pilot traumatized by his experiences in World War I, who sets off in search of some transcendent meaning in his life. The story beg ...

'' ( ECM, 1987) *'' Points of View'' (ECM, 1998) *'' Prime Directive'' (ECM, 1999) *''

What Goes Around "What Goes Around" may refer to: *"What Goes Around", a song by Ringo Starr from his 1992 album ''Time Takes Time'' * ''What Goes Around'' (Dave Holland album), 2002 * ''What Goes Around'' (Statik Selektah album), 2014 * ''What Goes Around...'', ...

'' (ECM, 2002) *''

Not for Nothin' ''Not for Nothin' '' is English jazz bassist Dave Holland's studio album released on August 21, 2001 via the ECM label. Saxophonist Chris Potter, trombonist Robin Eubanks, vibraphonist Steve Nelson and drummer Billy Kilson return from Hollan ...

'' (ECM, 2001) *'' Extended Play: Live at Birdland'' (ECM, 2003) *'' Pathways'' (Dare2, 2010) With

Ronald Shannon Jackson Ronald Shannon Jackson (January 12, 1940 – October 19, 2013) was an American jazz drummer from Fort Worth, Texas. A pioneer of avant-garde jazz, free funk, and jazz fusion, he appeared on over 50 albums as a bandleader, sideman, arranger, and ...

*''

Decode Yourself ''Decode Yourself'' is an album by Ronald Shannon Jackson and The Decoding Society, recorded in 1985 for the Island Records, Island label. Critical reception The AllMusic review by Stephen Cook stated: "The range of styles found on drummer Ronald ...

'' (Island, 1985) With

*'' The Truth: Heard Live at the Blue Note'' (

Half Note ''Half Note'' is a live album by saxophonist Clifford Jordan which was recorded in 1974 and first released on the SteepleChase label in 1985.

, 1999) With

Bobby Previte Bobby Previte (born July 16, 1951 in Niagara Falls, New York) is a drummer, composer, and bandleader. He earned a degree in economics from the University at Buffalo, where he also studied percussion. He moved to New York City in 1979 and began ...

*'' Weather Clear, Track Fast'' (Enja, 1991) *''

Slay the Suitors ''Slay the Suitors'' is an album by American drummer/composer Bobby Previte's group Empty Suits. The album was released on the Avant label in 1994.

'' (Avant, 1993) *''

Hue and Cry In common law, a hue and cry is a process by which bystanders are summoned to assist in the apprehension of a criminal who has been witnessed in the act of committing a crime. History By the Statute of Winchester of 1285, 13 Edw. I statute 2. c ...

'' (Enja, 1993) With

Hank Roberts Hank Roberts (born March 24, 1954, Terre Haute, Indiana) is an American jazz cellist and vocalist. He plays the electric cello, and his style is a mixture of rock, jazz, avant-garde, folk, and classical influences. He emerged with the downtown N ...

*''

Black Pastels ''Black Pastels'' is the debut album by cellist Hank Roberts which was recorded in 1987 and released on the JMT label.Shimada, T.JMT label discography accessed October 7, 2014 Reception The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow said it was "Recommende ...

'' (JMT, 1988) With

Herb Robertson Clarence "Herb" Robertson (born February 21, 1951) is a jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist. He was born in New Jersey and attended the Berklee School of Music. He has recorded solo albums and has worked as a sideman for Tim Berne, Anthony Davi ...

*'' Shades of Bud Powell'' (JMT, 1988) With others *

Kenny Drew Kenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew (August 28, 1928 – August 4, 1993) was an American-Danish jazz pianist. Biography Drew was born in New York City, United States, and received piano lessons from the age of five.Feather, Leonard, & Ira Gitler (2 ...

: ''Follow the Spirit'' (Sirocco Jazz, 2000) *

Bill Hardman William Franklin Hardman Jr. (April 6, 1933 – December 6, 1990) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist who chiefly played hard bop. He was married to Roseline and they had a daughter Nadege. Career Hardman was born and grew ...

: '' What's Up'' (

SteepleChase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...

, 1989) * Andrew Hill: '' But Not Farewell'' (

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical co ...

, 1990) *

Abdullah Ibrahim Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934 and formerly known as Dollar Brand) is a South African pianist and composer. His music reflects many of the musical influences of his childhood in the multicultural port areas of Cap ...

: ''Good News from Africa: Portrait'' (

Enja Enja Records is a German jazz record company and label based in Munich which was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971. The label's first release was by Mal Waldron, and early releases included European and Ja ...

, 1990) * Joe Jackson: '' Symphony No. 1'' (

Sony Classical Sony Classical is an American record label founded in 1924 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. In 1980, the Columbia Masterworks label was renamed as CBS Masterworks Records. The CBS Records Group was acquired by ...

, 1999) *

J. J. Johnson J.J. Johnson (January 22, 1924 – February 4, 2001), born James Louis Johnson and also known as Jay Jay Johnson, was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. Johnson was one of the earliest trombonists to embrace bebop. Biograph ...

: ''The Brass Orchestra'' (

PolyGram PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be a ...

, 1996) * The Uniphonics: ''Crawl'' (2010) *

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

: '' Live at the Apollo'' ( MCA, 1990) *Mingus Big Band: ''Essential Mingus Big Band'' ( Dreyfus, 1996) *Barbra Streisand: '' The Concert'' (

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

, 1994) *Sun Ra: ''Other Side of the Sun'' (Universe, 1978) * Superblue: ''Superblue 2'' (Blue Note, 1989) *Talking Heads: ''

Naked Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to h ...

'' (

Sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" a ...

, 1988) *

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA ...

Big Band: ''

Uptown/Downtown ''Uptown/Downtown'' is a 1988 live album by McCoy Tyner released on the Milestone label, his first for the label since '' 13th House'' (1980). It was recorded in November 1988 and features performances by Tyner's Big Band, which included tenor s ...

'' (

Milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway line, canal or boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks; or they can give their position on the route relative to so ...

, 1988) *McCoy Tyner: ''

'' (

WEA The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as either being closely related to the Miami Tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami. Today, the descendants of the ...

, 2000) *

Grover Washington Jr Grover Washington Jr. (December 12, 1943 – December 17, 1999) was an American jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with Wes Montgomery and George Benson, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre. He wr ...

.: '' All My Tomorrows'' (Sony, 1994) *Sadao Watanabe (musician), Sadao Watanabe: ''Remembrance'' (Verve, 1999) *Chip White: ''Harlem Sunset'' (Postcards Records, Postcards, 1994)

References

External links

Official site
* Paul Olson
"Robin Eubanks: Master Trombonist... And Would-Be Rock Guitarist?"
''Allaboutjazz'', November 12, 2007. * Josef Woodard
"Robin, Kevin & Duane Eubanks: Wake-Up Call"
''JazzTimes'', July 1, 2001. * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eubanks, Robin 1955 births Living people African-American musicians American jazz trombonists Male trombonists The Jazz Messengers members Musicians from Philadelphia New England Conservatory faculty Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania 21st-century trombonists American male jazz musicians SFJAZZ Collective members Superblue (band) members JMT Records artists ArtistShare artists Central High School (Philadelphia) alumni