Chet Doxas is a saxophonist, clarinetist and composer based in Brooklyn, New York. His work has been nominated for numerous Juno, Grammy and Academy Awards. Doxas has released a number of albums as a leader and has received accolades for his work as a performer, composer and arranger. His work can be heard on over one hundred recordings.
Early life
editBorn in 1980 and raised in Montreal, Canada into a musical family, Chet Doxas' love of music was fostered by his father, a musician, music teacher and recording engineer; and his older brother and drummer, Jim, with whom he regularly performs. He started performing and recording professionally while in his teenage years during what some would call the end of the good old days of Montreal - dance bands, burlesque reviews, radio shows, recordings, and night club work.
During this time he developed an interest in composition and began leading his own groups. He enrolled in McGill University and completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Jazz Performance, an institution where he later taught private lessons and ensembles. Now based in Brooklyn, NY since 2014, Chet leads and co-leads several projects including The Chet Doxas Trio, Doxas Brothers Quartet, Landline, Rich in Symbols, Larum, and the Ceremonial Sextet. He was recently appointed the first tenor saxophone chair in the Canadian National Jazz Orchestra. Since his move to New York City, he has had the opportunity to perform alongside or record with: Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Dave Douglas, John Abercrombie, Michael Formanek and several other luminaries of the creative music scene.
Chet has led and co-led the release of fourteen albums and is a multiple Juno Award nominee who's playing was also featured on the Grammy and Academy Award nominated soundtrack, Les Triplettes de Belleville. In 2019 he was awarded SOCAN's Haygood Hardy Award and most recently, he was named in the 2022 & 2023 Downbeat Magazine Rising Star Critic's Poll in the categories for Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone and Clarinet.
Life and career
editDoxas was born to parents who were teachers. In his youth, he was in a swing jazz ensemble which performed around Montreal.[1] He later attended McGill University, where he would perform his music. In 2014, Doxas moved to New York City to further his career.[2]
After recording Big Sky and Dive (which he recorded before moving to New York),[3] Doxas's album Rich in Symbols was nominated for a Juno award for Best Jazz solo album of 2018. The album, which conveys a rock-world approach to jazz, features guitar work on select tracks by Dave Nugent.[4] Doxas has also been a member of the Sam Roberts Band where he would play the woodwind instrument.[5]
Discography
editAs leader/co-leader
edit| Release Year | Title | Label | Personnel/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Kindred | Justin Time Records | Chet Doxas - saxophones & compostions, Marc Copland - piano & compostions, Adrian Vedady - bass & compostions, Jim Doxas - drums & compositions |
| 2022 | Rich in Symbols II | Justin Time Records | Chet Doxas - woodwinds & compositions, Jacob Sacks - piano & mellotron. Joe Grass - pedal steel & guitar, Zack Lober - bass, Eric Doob - drums and electronics. Special guests: Sam Roberts - spoken word, Evan Shay - drum programming |
| 2022 | The Music of Hildegard von Bingen Part 1 | Puremagnetik | LARUM - Micah Frank - electronics & compositions, Chet Doxas - woodwinds, electronics & compositions |
| 2021 | You Can't Take it With You | Whirlwind Recordings | Chet Doxas - saxophones & compostions, Ethan Iverson - piano, Thomas Morgan - bass |
| 2020 | The Circle | Justin Time Records | Chet Doxas - saxophones & compostions, Marc Copland - piano, Adrian Vedady - bass & compostions, Jim Doxas - drums & compositions |
| 2019 | All the Roads | Foil Imprints | LARUM - Micah Frank - electronics & compositions, Chet Doxas - woodwinds, electronics & compositions |
| 2019 | Landline | Loyal Label | Chet Doxas - saxophones & compostions, Jacob Sacks - piano & compositions, Zack Lober - bass & compositions, Vinnie Sperrazza - drums & compositions |
| 2017 | Rich in Symbols | Ropeadope Records | Chet Doxas - woodwinds & compositions, Matthew Stevens - guitar, Zack Lober - bass, Eric Doob - drums and electronics. Special Guests: Dave Douglas - trumpet, Dave Nugent - guitar, |
| 2017 | The New National Anthem | Greenleaf | Chet Doxas - woodwinds & compositions, Dave Douglas - trumpet, Steve Swallow - bass, Jim Doxas - Drums |
| 2014 | Riverside | Greenleaf | Chet Doxas - woodwinds & compositions, Dave Douglas - trumpet, Steve Swallow - bass, Jim Doxas - Drums |
| 2013 | Relative Quartet | Addo Records | Chet Doxas - saxophones, John Stetch - piano, Michael Bates - bass, Owen Howard - drums |
| 2013 | Dive | Addo Records | Chet Doxas - saxophone, Matthew Stevens - guitar, Zack Lober - bass, Eric Doob - drums |
| 2010 | Big Sky | Justin Time Records | Chet Doxas - saxophones, Benoît Charest - guitar, Zack Lober - bass, Jim Doxas -drums |
| 2008 | Le Mur | Fusion III | ByProduct: Chet Doxas - saxophones, Zack Lober - bass, Jim Doxas - drums.
String Quartet: Stéphane Allard, Zoe Dumais, Jean Rene, Shelagh Hannigan Conducted by: John Sadowy |
| 2006 | Sidewalk Etiquette | Justin Time Records | Chet Doxas - saxophones, John Roney - piano , Zack Lober - bass, Jim Doxas -drums |
| 2003 | ByProduct | Fusion III | ByProduct: Chet Doxas - saxophones, Zack Lober - bass, Jim Doxas - drums |
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ "Meet the Doxas clan a Montreal family of Jazz". Montreal Gazette. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ "Live from New York Montreal native Chet Doxas". The Suburban. The Suburban. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ "Big Sky review by John Kelman". All About Jazz. All About Jazz. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ "Jazzman Chet Doxas finds inspiration in 1980s graffiti art, No Wave music". Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ "Sam Roberts Band spread their human heart at the Orpheum". Vancouver Weekly. Vancouver Weekly. Retrieved 25 July 2018.