Andover Musicians and Musical Groups - Pete Robbins

• Pete Robbins grew up surrounded by music. He picked up a saxophone and took piano and clarinet lessons. He started playing clarinet in elementary school and played in a middle school jazz band. After he graduated from Phillips Academy and released his debut album Centricin 2002 befoe he moved to New York in September 2002. Critics called him a "jazz wunderkind."

• Being called the "new darling of the New York Jazz Press" made it easier to move to New York and get club dates. He played in both a jazz trio and a rock band named Tober. Tober included Adam Tober from Andover and Nathan Predette of North Andover. Robbins said, "I've always felt like I'm half rock and half jazz."

• He came back to Andover in 1998 to play at Phillips Academy and in 2004 to play at Palmers. By then, he was playing in 3 bands. He was also working as a music teacher.

• Other albums he has released include Waits and Measures (2006) and Do the Hate Laugh Shimmy (2008), both named as one of the top 10 jazz releases for that year. Later albums were Silent 2 Live (2010), Live in Brooklyn (2011), and Transatlantic Quartet-Live in Basel (2011).

• In 2012 the Pete Robbins Jazz Quartet had a CD release party at Phillips Academy. The quartet members are Pete Robbins on saxaphone and a trio of European musicians. A New York Times Reviewer has said, "Robbins leads an ambitious ensemble that combines spacious avant-guardism with the melodic punch of rock." Robbins has his own Hate Laugh music label.

See

• Jazz Player-Turned-Teacher Plays Palmers Saturday. Andover Townsman 2/19/2004,page 15.

• Where His Heart Is. Jazz "Wunderkind" Robbins Returns for Hometown Performance. Eagle Tribune,2/20/2004, pages 13, 15.

• Andover Native's Jazz Quartet Offering Free Show. Andover Townsman 12/29/2011, page 12.

• Andover Native on Sax at Free Jazz Concert. Andover Townsman 1/12/2012, p. 11

--Leslie 16:36, December 29, 2011 (EST)

back to Main Page