Bob Mintzer
Welcome to the website of a man who leads several musical lives.

Saxophonist Bob Mintzer is a twenty eight year member of the Grammy award winning Yellowjackets who also leads a Grammy winning Big Band, travels with his own Quartet, and plays with numerous bands globally.

Bob recently became the chief conductor of the WDR Big Band in Cologne, Germany.

A respected educator, Bob is the recipient of the Buzz McCoy endowed chair of jazz studies at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Based in Los Angeles, Bob continues to conduct clinics and workshops worldwide. He has also written nearly twenty books which are an important part of the curriculum of Jazz education worldwide.

Bob writes for orchestra, concert band and big band, with over three hundred charts to his credit. His big band music is performed by groups all over the planet. Bob honed his big band writing and playing skills in the bands of Tito Puente, Buddy Rich and Thad Jones-Mel Lewis.

He has also written works for the National Symphony Orchestra, Metropole Orchestra of the Netherlands. WDR Big band in Cologne, HR Big Band in Frankfurt, and was commissioned to write a piece for concert band and tenor sax ("Go") by a consortium of 50 universities.

As an instrumentalist Bob has worked with Art Blakey, Jaco Pastorius, Sam Jones, Randy Brecker, Gil Evans, the Yellowjackets, GRP All Star Big Band, Mike Manieri, and The New York Philharmonic, to name a few. He has done session work for James Taylor, Steve Winwood, Queen, Donald Fagan, Milton Nascimento, and countless others.

Latest News

June 14, 2018 - NEW The much anticipated collaboration between the Bob Mintzer Big Band and the New York Voices is being released June 28, 2018. Get signed copies here .

July 01, 2018 -

PRESS RELEASE June 2018

WDR Big Band: Contracts with Bob Mintzer and Vince Mendoza extended to 2021

The WDR has extended the contracts with its principal conductor, Bob Mintzer, and with its "Composer in Residence" Vince Mendoza, for another three years until 2021.
Mintzer and Mendoza, both Grammy award-winners on several occasions, have held the dual artistic leadership of the WDR Big Band since the 2016/2017 season.

Bob Mintzer: "I'm honored that the band wants me to continue as their chief conductor. And I look forward to being able to continuing to guide the future of this great band in the future".

Christoph Stahl, Head of the Orchestra and Choir Department: "Even one of the world's outstanding big bands requires the best possible leadership. We look forward to continuing and deepening our inspirational collaboration with Bob Mintzer and Vince Mendoza. "
Bob Mintzer (born 1953) has been presenting big band jazz with his personal style for more than 30 years. His compositions are part of the standard repertoire of modern big-band literature. The Grammy Award winner has been involved as a saxophonist and bandleader in countless CD recordings. Mintzer has also set standards as a member of the jazz fusion group "Yellowjackets".

Vinze Mendoza (born 1961) has worked as a bandleader and arranger with many of the greats of jazz and pop music such as Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau, Bjork or Robbie Williams. He has received numerous international awards for his work with the WDR Big Band, for example, with the Grammy for the CD production "Some Skunk Funk" in 2007.

wdr-bigband.de


Jan 21, 2016 - Two new sax masterclass videos now available:

Jan 01, 2016 - It's here! Mintzer/Erskine big band play along app. Play along and record yourself. Totally cool! https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mintzer-big-band-essentials/id1061261675?mt=8

Oct 15, 2015 - New! Etude book from Alfred Music that takes you through 12 keys on a variety of chord qualities. http://www.alfred.com/Products/Playing-on-the-Changes--00-43721.aspx

June 10, 2015 - Video from the Get Up! sessions by Bret Primack on composition. Interviews of the musicians. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tudXCKuFw40

May 27, 2015 - Watch video from Get Up! cd sessions on the Oakland sound.

May 12, 2012 - Follow me on Twitter

April 07, 2011 - Signed copies of Canyon Cove with Larry Goldings-organ Peter Erskine- drums, and Bob Mintzer-tenor sax, bass clarinet, and flute is available on the cd page.